302 ANIMAL INTELLIGENCE. 



possessor of the nest, and sole object of her future care. The 

 young birds are not previously killed, nor are the eggs de- 

 molished, but all are left to perish together, either entangled 

 about the bush which contains the nest, or lying on the ground 

 under it. 



On June 18, 1787, I examined the nest of a hedge-sparrow, 

 which then contained a cuckoo's and three hedge-sparrow's eggs. 

 On inspecting it the day following, I found the bird had hatched, 

 but that the nest now contained a young cuckoo and only one 

 young hedge-sparrow. The nest was placed so near the extremity 

 of a hedge, that I could distinctly see what was going forward in 

 it; and, to my astonishment, saw the young cuckoo, though so 

 newly hatched, in the act of turning out the young hedge- 

 spirrow. 



The mode of accomplishing this was very curious. The 

 little animal, with the assistance of its rump and wings, contrived 

 to get the bird upon its back, and making a lodgment for the 

 burden by elevating its elbows, clambered backward with it up 

 the side of the nest till it reached the top, when, resting for a 

 moment, it threw off its load with a jerk, and quite disengaged 

 it from the nest. It remained in this situation a short time, 

 feeling about with the extremities of its wings, as if to be con- 

 vinced whether this business was properly executed, and then 

 dropped into the nest again. With these (the extremities of its 

 wings) I have often seen it examine, as it were, an egg and nest- 

 ling before it began its operations ; and the sensibility which 

 these parts appeared to possess seemed sufficiently to compensate 

 the want of sight, which as yet it was destitute of. I afterwards 

 put in an egg, and this by a similar process was conveyed to the 

 edge of the nest and thrown out. These experiments I have 

 since repeated several times in different nests, and have always 

 found the young cuckoo disposed to act in the same manner. 

 In climbing up the nest it sometimes drops its burden, and thus 

 is foiled in its endeavours ; but after a little respite the work 

 is resumed, and goes on almost incessantly till it is effected. It 

 is wonderful to see the extraordinary exertions of the young 

 cuckoo, when it is two or three days old, if a bird be put into 

 the nest with it that is too weighty for it to lift out. In this 

 state it seems ever restless and uneasy. But this disposition 

 for turning out its companions begins to decline from the time 

 it is two or three till it is about twelve days old, when, as far 

 as I have hitherto seen, it ceases. Indeed, the disposition for 

 throwing out the egg appears to cease a few days sooner ; for I 

 have frequently seen the young cuckoo, after it had been hatched 



