YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO. 
229 
and apple orchards. It leaves us, on its return southward, about 
the middle of September. 
The singular, I will not say unnatural, conduct of the Euro- 
pean Cuckoo, {Cuculus canorus) which never constructs a 
nest for itself, but drops its eggs in those of other birds, and 
abandons them to their mercy and management, is so univer- 
sally known, and so proverbial, that the whole tribe of Cuckoos 
have, by some inconsiderate people, been stigmatized as desti- 
tute of all parental care and affection. Without attempting to 
account for this remarkable habit of the European species, far 
less to consider as an error what the wisdom of Heaven has 
imposed as a duty on the species, I will only remark, that the 
bird now before us builds its own nest, hatches its own eggs, 
and rears its own young; and in conjugal and parental affection 
seems nowise behind any of its neighbours of the grove. 
Early in May they begin to pair, when obstinate battles take 
place among the males. About the tenth of that month they 
commence building. The nest is usually fixed among the hor- 
izontal branches of an apple-tree; sometimes in a solitary thorn, 
crab or cedar, in some retired part of the woods. It is construct- 
ed with little art, and scarcely any concavity, of small sticks 
and twigs, intermixed with green weeds, and blossoms of the 
common maple. On this almost flat bed, the eggs, usually three 
or four in number, are placed; these are of a uniform greenish 
blue colour, and of a size proportionable to that of the bird. 
While the female is sitting, the male is generally not far dis- 
tant, and gives the alarm by his notes, when any person is ap- 
proaching. The female sits so close, that you may almost reach 
her with your hand, and then precipitates herself to the ground, 
feigning lameness to draw you away from the spot, fluttering, 
trailing her wings, and tumbling over, in the manner of the 
Partridge, Woodcock, and many other species. Both parents 
unite in providing food for the young. This consists for the 
most part of caterpillars, particularly such as infest apple-trees. 
The same insects constitute the chief part of their own suste- 
nance. They are accused, and with some justice, of sucking the 
