YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO. 
3 
swamps 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 
European 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 
universally known, and so proverbial, that the whole tribe of 
Cuckoos have, by some inconsiderate people, been stigmatized 
as destitute 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 horizontal branches of an apple tree ; sometimes in a 
solitary thorn, crab, or cedar, in some retired part of the 
woods. It is constructed, 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 distant, and gives the alarm, by 
his notes, when any person is approaching. 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, Wood- 
cock, 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 
