this feat, he, as we have seen, becomes in his turn excellent eating, according to Pliny. In allusion to this mode of showing his gratitude, the Fool in "Lear," bitterly says, "The hedge-sparrow fed the cuckoo so long, That it had its head bit off by its young." And hence the French proverb, Ingrat comme un coucou. The statement of Aristotle, that the KóкKU builds its nest in buildings and rocks, cannot be disputed (Hist. Anim. vi. 1.); but it is evident that the bird mentioned in this part of his great work, was not the common cuckoo; for he distinctly says (ix. 39,) that the female cuckoo makes no nest, but, as we have reminded the reader in the preceding page, deposits her eggs in the nests of other birds (four of which he names), and leaves the bird in whose nest her egg is deposited, to hatch it. Nor is it at all improbable that the first passage here alluded to, was in great measure the origin of the doubt imported into the natural history of the bird at different modern periods. Thus Dr. Brookes writes; This bird is remarkable for laying its eggs in the nests of other birds, such as hedge-sparrows, finches, and the like, for it has no nest of its own. It first devours the eggs it finds in the nests, and then begins to lay its own in their room, where they are hatched by the silly bird with a great deal of care, and it takes the young cuckoo for its own offspring. However, though this has been asserted by many naturalists, yet from our own experience we can affirm, that this bird hatches its own young, and that its nest, like that of other birds, has something peculiar, being made larger than that of a blackbird on the outer side, of the same materials, namely, thorns, long grass, and clay; and on the inside it is covered warmly with wool and short hair from cows and other animals."* In our own time, this story of the cuckoo making its own nest has been revived, and sanctioned by no less an authority than Dr. Fleming. But there can be little or no doubt, as Montagu has shown, that the evidence on which this nest-making and feeding the young is asserted, is not to be trusted. The birds taken for cuckoos were probably nightjars, or, as they are commonly called, goatsuckers (Caprimulgus Europaus). Taking it then for granted that the female cuckoo does not make any nest, the next point of inquiry is what nests she selects for the purpose of continuing the species. Aristotle names those of pigeons or doves, and of certain small birds-probably one of * A Compleat System of Ornithology, or a Natural History of Birds, 8vo. London, 1776. the warblers, the meadow-pipit, or perhaps the skylark, and the greenfinch. Pliny says, that the nests of doves are principally selected. In this country the eggs have been found in the nests of the hedge-sparrow or hedge-warbler, the redbreast, the whitethroat, the redstart, the willow-warbler, the pied-wagtail, the meadowpipit, the skylark, the yellow-bunting, the chaffinch, the greenfinch, the linnet, and the blackbird. On the continent of Europe, the egg has been also found in the nests of the red-backed shrike and of the thrush; in this country a pair of red-backed shrikes have been seen feeding a young cuckoo.* With us, the nests usually selected are those of the hedge-sparrow, the pied-wagtail, and the meadow-pipit. The great disproportion between the little birds last named, and the cuckoo, will at once strike the uninitiated; but the egg of the latter, which is of a pale reddish grey-colour is disproportionately small. Dr. Jenner found that the largest of two cuckoos' eggs weighed fifty-five grains, whilst the smallest weighed only fortythree grains; and Mr. Yarrell states, that the largest of four specimens in his collection only measures eleven lines and a half in length, and eight lines and a half in breadth, the exact size of that of the skylark, and yet, as he remarks, the comparative size of the birds is as four to one. Now, if this egg of the cuckoo had been proportioned to the size of the bird, the difference between it and the foster-mother's own egg, must have been obvious to the touch as well as the sight: as it is, the foster-mother is not startled by the imposition. As soon as the young cuckoo is hatched, the parental affection is awakened towards it, and blinds the poor dupes that watch over it to every thing but the necessity of providing for their enormous nestling, who takes special care that he shall be the only object of their στοργή. The female cuckoo lays at long intervals; six or eight days elapse between the times of deposit, and Schlegel thinks that the particular nature and effect of its food produces an enlargement of the stomach, which appears to influence the development of the eggs. No difficulty would occur to prevent the direct deposit of the egg in some of the nests above mentioned; but it has been stated that the egg of a cuckoo has been found in the domed nest of a wren, and in a wagtail's nest under the eaves of a cottage: in these cases the cuckoo could not have sat upon the nest to deposit the egg, and the inference is, that when the nest is of such a nature, or so situated that it would not be possible for the cuckoo to sit upon it, she drops the egg in from her bill. Le Vaillant had * Hence, probably, the provincial name for this shrike, as in Herefordshire for instance, where it is called "the Cuckoo's maid." strong evidence to show that one of the African cuckoos did carry her egg in her bill, in order to drop it into nests having a narrow side entrance. That some birds do carry their eggs in their mouths, we have the testimony of Mr. Audubon, who says, that when the American goat-sucker discovers that its eggs have been touched, it appears extremely dejected, and, after a few low notes and some gesticulations, all indicative of great distress, it takes an egg into its large mouth, and its mate does the same, when they will fly off together skimming closely over the ground. The egg, however deposited, is, from the moment of its deposit, abandoned by the cuckoo, and, after a fortnight's incubation, it is hatched. Very shortly after its birth, the young cuckoo is the sole tenant of the nest. This was formerly accounted for in various ways. Some declared that the foster-parents were so enamoured of their Pantagruel of a nestling, that they killed their own offspring, and gave them to the young giant to eat. Others again asserted, that the old cuckoo took advantage of the nurse's absence to gobble up the real Simon Pures, and so leave room for the intruder. Others again, as we have above noticed, believed that as the young cuckoo gained strength, it swallowed the nestlings, and at last the nurse herself. The truth is, that the eggs and true nestlings are, immediately after its birth, got rid of by the young cuckoo, which has a depression upon the middle of its broad back to assist it in the summary ejectment of its fellow-lodgers. Insinuating itself under the egg or nestling, the intruder gets it upon the hollow of its back, and, if left to itself, never rests till it has shouldered and jerked it out of the nest. Dr. Jenner, Colonel Montagu, and many other accurate observers, have placed this wonderful and early effort of instinct beyond doubt. In one case, two young hedge-sparrows and a young cuckoo were hatched on the same morning. In the evening the young cuckoo was sole tenant. Colonel Montagu took the nest and bird, when the latter was five days old, to his house, and put a young swallow, by way of experiment, into the nest with it The cuckoo frequently threw the young swallow out for four or five days after. Sometimes, indeed, the cuckoo failed after much struggling, for the swallow was strong and nearly full-feathered; but after a short rest to recover its fatigue, the cuckoo renewed its efforts, and seemed continually restless till it succeeded. At the end of the fifth day this disposition ceased, and the young cuckoo permitted the swallow to remain unmolested in the nest. It is worthy of note, that when the cuckoo is about twelve days old, the hollow on the back is filled up, and its shape is that of nestlings in general. Sometimes two eggs of the cuckoo are deposited in the same nest, most probably by different individuals. If these are hatched, then comes the tug of war. Dr. Jenner relates, that on the 27th of June, 1787, two cuckoos and a hedge-sparrow were hatched in the same nest; one hedge-sparrow's egg remained unhatched. In a few hours after, a severe contest began between the cuckoos for the possession of the nest. The combatants appeared alternately to have the advantage. Each carried the other several times nearly to the top of the nest, and then sank down again under the pressure of his burden. At length, after several struggles, the strongest cuckoo prevailed, turned out the other, the young hedge-sparrow, and the unbatched egg, remained sole possessor of the nest, and was brought up by the old hedge sparrows. The cuckoo is thus the cause of keeping down the population of the insectivorous birds, and those whose nests are made the places of deposit. Mr. Rennie calculates that it annually destroys about 3,500,000 of their eggs. It may be readily conceived what a busy time of it the poor dupes of foster-parents have in providing for the feathered Dando that they have unconsciously brought into existence. Cases are on record where their compassionate neighbours are said to have assisted them in providing for the overwhelming demands of their big changeling. Two instances are given in the Gentleman's Magazine for 1806 of young cuckoos having been occasionally fed by large numbers of birds of the same species as their foster-parents. One of these nestlings, was, it is stated, supplied with nourishment by upwards of twenty titlarks, and the other was waited upon by forty-eight wagtails. Colonel Montagu and Mr. Eaton of York, doubt the accuracy of these reports; but Mr. Blackwall sees no occasion to call the principal fact in question. The latter zoologist observes that the young cuckoo is particularly clamorous when stimulated by hunger; and he finds a reason for the benevolence of the contributing birds in their being unable to hear the distressed and distressing cry for food, without being moved to succour the hungry nestling. He gives several instances where birds of a different species have brought food to deserted nestlings; and he therefore is of opinion that the article in the Gentleman's Magazine is perfectly correct in asserting that young cuckoos are occasionally fed by a more than ordinary number of birds; but that it is erroneous to suppose that these numerous purveyors are invariably of the same species as the foster-parents of the cuckoos. But, according to observations made by Mr. J. E. Gray, of the British Museum, natural affection would not appear to be entirely extinguished in the breast of the cuckoo. He states that she does not uniformly desert her offspring to the extent that has been supposed; but, on the contrary, that she continues in the precincts where the eggs are deposited, and in all probability takes the young under her protection when they are sufficiently fledged to leave the nest. This is as if the mother had put out her child to nurse, but yet continued to watch over it. Strange tales have been told relative to the food of the cuckoo. The nursery song says "The cuckoo is a fine bird, He sings as he flies, He sucks little birds' eggs To make his voice clear, The summer is near." Dr. Brookes sets himself seriously to refute this story of the eggs, and says, truly enough, that those cuckoos which have been opened, have had caterpillars and other insects found in their crops. Selby remarks that it is an opinion very commonly entertained, that this bird sucks the other eggs in the nest where it deposits its own; but that there appears to be no reason for supposing this to be the case, and that the belief has without doubt arisen from the fact of the young cuckoo being so often found sole tenant, after the expulsion of its co-partners. Mr. Hoy, Mr. Salmon, and other observers of reputation, however, testify that the adult cuckoo occasionally destroys one or more of the eggs that she finds in the nest where she deposits her own. Still there can be no doubt that the cuckoo feeds principally, if not entirely, upon insects. White saw one hawking for dragon-flies (Libellula) over a pond, and the hairy larva of some of the lepidopterous insects are especial favourites. It was formerly supposed that the hairs found on the inner surface of the stomach of this bird were of spontaneous growth; and, indeed, very lately, Mr. Thompson was disposed so to consider them but Professor Owen found that these supposed gastric hairs presented under the microscope the complex structure characteristic of those of the larva of the tiger-moth (Arctia Caja); and proved to the satisfaction of Mr. Thompson that they were altogether borrowed from that insect, the only species taken from the stomach of the bird in various specimens from different parts of the country, examined by Mr. Thompson in the |