THE CUCKOO.
"Tell me what bird this is a picture of," said Arthur.
"That," said Uncle Oscar, "is the cuckoo, a bird which arrives in England, generally, about the middle of April, and departs late in June, or early in July."
"Why does it go so early?" asked Arthur.
"Well, I think it is because it likes a warm climate; and, as soon as autumn draws near, it wants to go back to the woods of Northern Africa."
"Why is it called the cuckoo?"
"Because the male bird utters a call-note which sounds just like the word kuk-oo. In almost every language, this sound has suggested the name of the bird. In Greek, it is kokkux; in Latin, coccyx; in French, coucou; in German, kukuk."
"What does the bird feed on?" asked Arthur.