CUCKOO. 
GENERIC CHARACTER. 
Bill somewhat arched. 
Tongue short. 
Feet formed for climbing. 
SPECIFIC CHARACTER. 
Cuculus canorus. C. cauda rotundata nigricante albo-punctata. 
Linn. Syst. Nat. Gmel. 1. p. 40Q. 
Tail black, with white spots upon it. 
Cuckoo. . . . Buff. Birds, 6. 262. Brit. Zool. 1 . p. 232. 
pi. 36. Arct. Zool. 2. p. 266. Will. Orn. 
p. 97. pi. 77- Allin. Av. 1. t. 8. Lath. 
Syn. 1. p. 509. no. 1. Bew. Birds, p. 104. 
The natural history of the cuckoo was almost as 
well known in the age of Aristotle as at present. 
A bird so remarkable for its manners, and its voice, 
could hardly escape particular notice ; and accord- 
ingly we find that almost all nations have named it 
from its simple and uniform note, so distinctly 
formed and so often repeated. It belongs exclu- 
sively to the male to sing, who generally sits perched 
