THE CUCKOO. 
595 
and does not finish until late in the evening. Occasionally 
it will repeat its own name more than a hundred times in 
succession without leaving the spot; indeed, it will do 
what no other bird is known to do,—call till it is hoarse ! 
The note itself and the manner it is emitted are typical 
of the bird’s habits and character. The same abruptness, 
insatiability, eagerness, the same rage, are noticeable in 
its whole conduct. The Cuckoo is a greedy feeder, 
and a discontented, ill-conditioned, passionate fellow; in 
short, a decidedly unamiable bird. Its food consists 
entirely of insects and their larvae; young Cuckoos, 
alone, will sometimes eat berries: cockchaffers, fern- 
beetles, moths, and dragonflies, are favourite morsels, 
and caterpillars especially, the hairy species, which no 
other birds ever devour, being preferred. The hairs of 
these creatures cling so close to the inner membrane of 
the stomach that the use of the magnifying-glass is 
necessary to convince one that they do not form part and 
parcel of that organ. 
Its keen sight enables the Cuckoo to see caterpillars 
from a great distance, when it flies quickly to the spot, 
seizes them, and returns to its perch, without spending 
much time over the operation, or climbing about after 
them. This bird is so constantly on the move that it 
always manages to obtain sufficient food, which is saying 
a great deal, for its stomach is large, and its powers of 
digestion almost unlimited. Thus it would be a most 
useful bird, did it not cause so much damage while 
breeding. 
During pairing time the Cuckoo acts like a head¬ 
strong, passionate idiot. How angry rings its cry, and 
what a rage it gets into when another of the same species 
dares to invade its territory. It will come blindly to the 
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