36 £ 
CUCTJLIDvE. 
them against the furniture that it could fly but very imperfectly, 
it was apparently very thankful to any person who would help it 
up on the first sash of the window. At other times it sat upon 
the fender, turning itself in various directions, and spreading its 
wings and feathers to receive the heat, of which it could bear a 
temperature equal to 100 degrees for a considerable time with 
seeming satisfaction. During cold weather it slept at its mistress's 
bed-side, covered with a piece of flannel, which was well warmed 
previous to its going to rest. With this attention, it generally 
remained quiescent until morning ; but on feeling cold, sometimes 
presumed so far as to creep under the bed-clothes. It was only 
to those from whom it had received some hurt or persecution, that 
it expressed dislike or fear, which it manifested by raising its neck- 
feathers and putting itself into an attitude of defence. It never 
uttered the cry of the male — f cuckoo ; — but sometimes, when 
persons in the room were laughing, it would apparently join, and 
emit a noise somewhat like the barking of a little dog. At all 
other times the only sound it made was a kind of low chattering, 
expressive of pleasure, when it got into a warm place, or on seeing 
its mistress after she had been absent for some hours. It received 
the unlucky tramp, which finally killed it, by having lost too 
much the apprehension of injury/' 
From Miss Templeton, I have learned the following particulars 
respecting this cuckoo : — It moulted only a few feathers the first 
year about Christmas ; the following year, about the same period, 
moulting commenced, and the bird became so unwell, that its life 
was considered to be in danger. Some of the adult plumage was 
then exhibited, but before there was time for this to be perfected, 
the poor bird met with its accidental death. This cuckoo was 
never subjected to the confinement of the cage, but was kept in 
the parlour through the day, and taken to its mistress's bed-room 
at night. Its favourite food was a hairy species of caterpillar 
found upon the oak, that being better liked than the hispid one 
of the nettle butterfly ; but it would eat voraciously of either of 
these, consuming fully three times as many, as of the smooth 
caterpillar of the cabbage : — this was wholly rejected when the 
