THE CUCKOO—THE BIRD OF THE COUNTRY OR THE TOWN F
[TO THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR."] BIR,—I was induced to put this question to myself lately by two incidents which have come under my notice here in Cheltenham. The cuckoo has been usually associated with country scenes by poets and others, and "the lines" are sup- posed to " have fallen to him in pleasant places," among green fields and leafy woods. Shakespeare connects him with " daisies pied and violets blue," and " lady smocks all silver white," and with "shepherds piping on oaten straws." Words- worth hears this " wandering voice passing from hill to hill." Tennyson tells us how "the cuckoo told his name to all the hills ; " and Matthew Arnold hears "the cuckoo's parting cry from the wet fields thro' the vext garden-trees," and, like his brother-poets, connects this bird with bush and tree. But this summer the cuckoo has ventured to leave the country for the habitations of men, and has been a welcome visitor to our garden-town, and, lured perhaps by the beauty of shrubs and flowers, has found a nest in the gardens close to frequented ways and to the streets, where she has laid her eggs. Ten days ago, my gardener brought me a young cuckoo which was hatched in a garden next to mine, in a hedge-sparrow's nest, and which had been carefully nurtured by its foster-parents. It was a fine bird, beautifully marked across the breast and wings, and I hoped to rear it; but after five days it pined and died. Pro- bably it was not properly fed. Only on Saturday last, a friend told me of a young cuckoo hatched in her garden, close to a public thoroughfare, and which she saw fed by a robin. The bird had also great attention paid to it by two blackbirds, which gave it food. It was fully fledged, and strong on the wing, but preferred being fed by other birds, no matter of what kind, to feeding itself. It would seem that this, " darling of the spring " is not a shy bird by any means, and not only frequents hills and woods, but also visits on occasion the gardens and dwellings of men. Has the cuckoo been. known commonly to seek "a nest for itself where she may lay her young," not only in the neighbourhood of towns, but in towns, as in the instances I have mentioned P Knowing how much your readers are interested in bird-life, I venture to send you this letter.—I am, Sir, &o., CHARLES D. BELL, D.D.
The .Rectory, Cheltenham, July 24th.
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