76 
THE CUCKOO. 
a gentleman, living on tlie Cheshire side of the river 
Mersey, opposite Liverpool, was awakened hy a kind 
of chattering noise, interrupted hy the cry of- — 
u Cuckoo, cuckoo,” in a low plantation near his house, 
situated amongst the sand-hills, bordering the shores 
of the estuary, and on looking out, observed a pretty 
large flock, which, at sun-rise or soon after, all took 
to flight. 
Here, then, we have an instance of their being 
sociably inclined on their arrival ; and it would 
seem that they are equally so when about to leave 
us : for in a garden in the county of Down, in Ire- 
land, from the 18th to the 22nd of July, not less 
than forty Cuckoos were observed, for the most part 
amongst the gooseberry-hushes, probably collecting 
the grubs which often infest those plants, and not to 
eat gooseberrries, as the gardener supposed ; and it 
was remarked that they were almost all so sleepy 
and dozing, as to permit a very near approach, 
though not quite so near as to admit of being 
caught by the hand. There happened to he a late 
brood of Blackbirds, not quite fledged, in a nest. 
They were discovered hy the Cuckoos, who destroyed 
all hut two ; they were seen to tear them in pieces, 
the gardener actually rescuing one from their grasp, 
which had its leg and wing severed. Not above three 
or four were heard to cry “ Cuckoo,” and then in 
a sort of hoarse unnatural tone. The greatest num- 
ber collected towards sun-set, though many remained 
throughout the day. After the 22nd of July, only 
one or two remained, which were evidently smaller 
than the rest, probably the youngest. 
Singular as is its cry, so equally singular and 
