Above: Froth on a tansy plant in Bonnefont garden on a May
morning. In the Middle Ages, this foamy substance was believed
to be the spittle of the cuckoo. The froth is secreted by
insects known as spittle bugs. The cuckoo-spittle,
gowk’s-spittle, cuckoo’s-spittens, frog-spit, toad-spit,
snake’s-spit, or wood-sear, of England and Scotland; Kukuk-
speichel, and hexenspiechel (witch’s spit) of the Germans;
gugger-speu of the Swiss; gred-spott (frog-spit) of the Swedes;
giogespit of the Danes; trold-kiaringspye of the Norwegians; and
crachat de coucou of the French . . . —James Hardy, “Popular
History of the Cuckoo.” In The Folk-lore record, Vol. 2. London:
Nichols & Sons, 1879.