THRUSHES. 
17J 
Some strange delusion, a small Hedge-Sparrow is persuaded 
to look upon an enormous Cuckoo as its own beloved young 
one, may we not suspect that tbe Cuckoo has some instinctive 
mode of gaining tbe affections, or attracting the attention of 
those birds from whom it requires assistance ? The case was 
this, — A young Cuckoo was taken from the nest of a Hedge- 
Sparrow, and a few days afterwards, a young Thrush, scarcely 
fledged, was put into the same cage. The latter could feed 
itself, but the Cuckoo, its companion, was obliged to be fed 
with a quill; in a short time, however, the Thrush took upon 
itself the task of feeding its fellow-prisoner, and continued so 
to do with the utmost care, bestowing every possible attention, 
and manifesting the greatest anxiety to satisfy its continual 
craving for food.^ 
The following is a still more extraordinary instance, corro- 
borating the above, and for the truth of which we can vouch 
in every particular. A young Thrush, just able to feed 
itself, had been placed in a cage ; a short time afterwards, a 
young Cuckoo, which could not feed itself, was introduced 
into the same cage, a large wicker one, and for some time it 
was with much difficulty fed ; at length, however, it was ob- 
served that the young Thrush was employed in feeding it, 
the Cuckoo opening its mouth and sitting on the upper 
perch, and making the Thrush hop down to fetch food up. 
One day, when it was thus expecting its food in this way, 
the Thrush seeing a worm put into the cage could not resist 
the temptation of eating it, upon which the Cuckoo imme- 
diately descended from its perch, and attacking the Thrush, 
literally tore one of its eyes quite out, and then hopped back : 
the poor Thrush felt itself obliged to take up some food in 
the lacerated state it was in. The eye healed in course of 
time, and the Thrush continued its occupation as before, till 
the Cuckoo was full grown. 
The Fly-Catchers form the third genus of the notch -billed 
* In dissecting a young Cuckoo, killed August 20, 1833, aboi$ twenty 
full-grown caterpillars, of the peacock butterfly {Pap. Jo), were found 
undigested. The stomachs of these birds are remarkable for having a 
coating of hair, which, when dried and turned inside out, looks very 
similar, in colour, size, and form, to a mouse’s head. 
