[Illustration]
Cuculus canorus, LINNÆUS; Le Coucou, BUFFON; Der gemeine Kukuk,
BECHSTEIN.
Although it is not larger than the turtle-dove, its length is fourteen
inches, but seven of these are included in the tail, three quarters of
which are covered by the folded wings. The beak, black above, and bluish
beneath; the feet have two claws before and two behind. The head, the
top of the neck, and the rest of the upper part of the body are of a
dark ash colour, changing like the throat of the pigeon on the back and
wing-coverts.
In the female, which is smaller, the upper part of the body is of a dark
brown, with dirty brown spots, which are scarcely visible. The under
part of the neck is a mixture of ash grey and yellow, crossed with dark
streaks. The belly is of a dirty white, with dark transverse lines.
HABITATION.--When wild, it is a bird of passage, which arrives in
April and departs in September, and even much sooner, according to an
English observer.
In the house, it may be let run about, or confined in a large wooden
cage.
FOOD.--When wild, it eats all sorts of insects, particularly
caterpillars on trees.
When confined, it is fed with meat, insects, and the universal paste
made of wheat-meal.
BREEDING AND PECULIARITIES.--Every one knows that the female cuckoo
never sits upon her eggs, but intrusts that care to other birds,
particularly those which feed on insects, laying one or two eggs in
their nest.
In order to tame a cuckoo, it must be taken from the nest: I never
tried myself, but several of my friends have. As this is a curious
bird, and most bird-fanciers like to have it in their room or aviary,
I shall here insert some observations on this subject, by M. von
Schauroth, who was before quoted.
"The cuckoo possesses hardly any qualities which would render it fit
to be a house bird: if old, it is too obstinate and voracious,
generally it is furious, sullen, and melancholy. I have reared
several; the last was taken from the nest of a yellowhammer: its
eyes were not opened when I took it, yet it darted at me with fury.
Before I had had it six days it would swallow in a passion everything
that came near it. I fed it on bird's flesh, and was obliged to
continue this food for a long time before it could feed itself. Its
motions were so quick in jumping or moving that it would overthrow
any cups of food which happened to be in its way. Its tail grew very
slowly. It was never entirely tamed; it would dart at my hands and
face, attacked every thing which came too near it, and even the other
birds. It ate the poultry paste in great quantities, and discharged
in proportion, which made it very dirty; I have even seen it, like
the ostrich, eat its own excrements. Its short and climbing feet are
so awkward that it cannot walk; it makes two or three jumps, but
flies very well."
"Though cunning and solitary," says Buffon, "the cuckoos may be given
some sort of education. Several persons of my acquaintance have
reared and tamed them. They feed them on minced meat, either dressed
or raw, insects, eggs, soaked bread, and fruit. One of these tamed
cuckoos knew its master, came at his call, followed him to the chase,
perched on his gun, and if it found a cherry tree in its way it would
fly to it, and not return till it had eaten plentifully; sometimes it
would not return to its master for the whole day, but followed him at
a distance, flying from tree to tree. In the house it might range at
will, and passed the night on the roost. The excrement of this bird
is white, and in great quantities; this is one of the disagreeables
in rearing it. Great care must be taken to keep it from the cold from
autumn till winter; this is the critical period for these birds, at
least it was at this time that I lost all which I had tried to rear,
besides many other birds of a different species."