COMMON CUCKOO. 
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in spring heralding the return of sunny skies and 
bursting vegetation, carries with it dear associa- 
tions in every country where it is known, while 
the singular provision of its making use of the 
nest of other birds in which to deposit its eggs, 
has created an interest and curiosity to ascertain 
its history. It has been ascertained without 
doubt, that the Common European Cuckoo, and 
several foreign species, deposit their eggs in the 
manner we have alluded to, none of the species 
afterwards attending to the fate of the egg, or to 
the after rearing of the young. And in a bird, 
not apparently differing in structure from many 
others which are migratory at the same seasons, 
and feed on similar food, ornithologists and 
naturalists have been unable to account for the 
different manner in which incubation is managed. 
No doubt, it might have been managed in the 
usual course,; but there can be no doubt also that 
when we do ascertain the cause of departure 
from it, we shall find that it has been so arranged 
to fill up or complete some principle in the eco- 
nomy of this tribe of birds, or some link in the 
zoological chain which has not yet struck the 
mind of inquirers ; and we would suggest that a 
probable means of discovering the bearings of 
this mysterious deviation, would be to endea- 
vour to connect it with analogous cases in the 
other branches, where the variety of circum- 
stances by which it would be developed, might 
lead to something which would give the key 
to the whole. Birds possessing this parasitical 
