. Our common cuckoo and other cuckoos and parasitical birds : an attempt to reach a true theory of them by comparative study of habit and function : with a thorough criticism and exposure of Darwin's views and Romane's views and those of their followers . ckoo. But in the case of a bird where the migratory in-stinct is so strong, and in any case where this instinctfailed to act, some reason must be found in the ex-ceptional physical condition of the bird which led itto brave the rigours of winter here instead of toattempt migration—some defect of wing feathers orpower of flight. The food eleme
. Our common cuckoo and other cuckoos and parasitical birds : an attempt to reach a true theory of them by comparative study of habit and function : with a thorough criticism and exposure of Darwin's views and Romane's views and those of their followers . ckoo. But in the case of a bird where the migratory in-stinct is so strong, and in any case where this instinctfailed to act, some reason must be found in the ex-ceptional physical condition of the bird which led itto brave the rigours of winter here instead of toattempt migration—some defect of wing feathers orpower of flight. The food element is in all suchquestions a most important one. This would account for what we are constantlyhearing of the cries of cuckoos at dates so early thatno ornithologist can believe that cuckoos had thenreturned from migration. Other cases there are an-alogous and at present wholly unexplained. Thereis, for example, that of the corncrake, or landrail,where, considering the defect of wing-strength, thepersistent migration is wonderful, and the instinct toit is as powerful in view of its drawbacks as in anybird ; yet in many districts landrails remain and skulkabout here through the winter, and of this we know acase the year before last in Essex. ^N?/,. PART II. FURTHER STRANGE TRAITS AND SOMEDEFINITE RESULTS. Use of Imitative Element. 8i X. Dr. Bowdler Sharpe tells a story which illustrateswell one use of the imitative element in the male bird is striped and barred in the breast andis in head and expression very hawk-like—an aspecthe can emphasize by mode of flight, etc. On one occasion a friend of his was desirous toobserve a whinchat which was busy in the process oflaying its eggs. The friend sat down in a protectedcorner and remained perfectly still and quiet, andwhat was his surprise very soon to see a femalecuckoo come near and hide herself in the long , in a very little time, the male cuckoo came andflew round and round, putting on his most hawk-lixeexp
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Keywords: ., bookauthorjapp, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectbirds
