1G2 MtSC'ELLAXEOUS NOTICES. 



first' attracted my attention bj' its note, which was sharper, and very distinct from that of 

 the Common English Pied Wagtail, (Motacilla YarrelUi.)— Idem. 



Note on the Cuckoo, (Cuculus canorus.) — Going across Hale common, near Altrincham, one day, 

 I was startled by the dash of a bird from a bush near to where I was walking ; I immediately 

 commenced scarchuig the bush and found the nest of a Titlark, with, I believe, five eggs. On 

 my next visit, I was sui-prised to find the eggs lying on the ground, and lookijig into the nest, 

 I observed an e^^ of some strange bird, which I afterwards ascertained to be that of the Cuckoo . 

 I put the eggs into the nest several times, but they were always rolled out again. I am at a 

 loss to know how the yoxmg Cuckoo was hatched, for I never saw any bird about the nest after 

 it was taken possession of by the Cuckoo.— V. Balshaw, Stockport, May 9th., 1851. 



I saw a solitary Swallow, {H. rustica,) on the 24th. of April, but on the 2Gth. I saw a largo 

 flock. -P. B. 



Observations on the Cuckoo, (Cuculus canorus.)— On the morning of the 14tli. of April, a friend 

 and I wore out shooting for the purpose of obtaining specimens in ornithology. Having arrived 

 at a point of the Eivcr, called the Alder Carr, situated midway between Norwich and Thorpe, 

 I heard from an adjoining tree the well-known note of the Cuckoo, which I obsen^ed perched 

 at tlie distance of twenty yards. I was about to fire, when over my head sailed another with 

 something between its mandibles; my curiosity was excited, (leaving the other to speed its way,) 

 I followed in a boat the flying Cuckoo, which I saw alight in an adjoining meadow. I reached 

 the bird within twenty yards, and observed it in the act of progressing, (similar to the crawling 

 of a Parrot,) by the side of a drain with this substance still in its beak; after traversing some 

 distance, it stopped short, at the same tune I fired. Upon noaring it I found the substance 

 b(ifore-named to be its c^^, I am sorry to say broken, but still quite satisfactory to me that such 

 was the case. Upon dissection, I found the cloaca contained another egg of nearly the same 

 size, but minus the calcareous envelope. I think in all probability this bird was searching for 

 a nest, possibly that of the ^Sfeadow Pipit, {Anthus pratensis,) for the depositing of its cg^. — 

 J. 0. Harpek, Norwich, May 7th., 1851. 



On tlie number of eggs laid by the Cnckoo.—A correspondent of yours, (J. Mc'Intosh, Esq.,) 

 in No. 1, of "The Naturalist," in Avriting on the habits of the Cuckoo, says, "This pro-\es 

 fm-ther to me, that the Cuckoo lays but one egg; at least this one could have laid no more." 

 The follomng extract from some oniithological memoranda of the late Col. Montagu, in my 

 possession, may not be unacceptable, shewhig, as it does, that nature has certainly made more 

 ample provision for the perpetuation of the species :~"May 17th., 1802. A female Cuckoo we 

 dissected weighed three ounces and three quarters. The ovaries and uterus were vastly distended, 

 but we tliiirk no v.gg had been produced. The largest vitellus appeared to be of suflicient size 

 to separate from the ovarium, but it was still attached; the next egg in succession was not 

 one quarter so large; the third and fourth nearly of the same size, not above half as big as 

 the second; two others rather inferior, and a seventh not half so largo as those. These may 

 be considered as the portion of eggs destined to be produced within the season, that is between 

 the above period and the beginning of July, the smaller eggs being scarcely definable." "Tliis 

 bird, as well as all the summer migrants, was unusually late this j-ear." "The female hero 

 described, had the stomach distended with the hairs and other exuvia) of some species of cater- 

 pillar, or larva of some lepidopterous insect.""H. Dorville, Alphington, near Exeter, May 

 14th., 1851. 



On the Cuckoo conveying its egg in its mouth.— On returning to Cambridge last October, (1850,) 

 I was infonned by G. Carter, Esq., of Emanuel College, that a Cuckoo had deposited an egg in 

 a Wren's nest, in the Fellows' garden, and that the young bird was eventually shot by him and 

 given to F. Barlow, Esq., Solicitor, Cambridge, in whose collection it now remains. The "Wrens 

 were also seen to feed it by several of the Fellows of the College. Mr. Barlow also informs me 

 that, many years ago, he found a Cuckoo's egg in a Redstart's nest in a hole in an old willow- 

 pollard, and he had great difficulty in getting the egg out, the aperture being but just sufficient 

 to admit two of his fingers.— K. A. Julian, Jun. 



Heronries additional.— '^ow'Aevho.vn.Caaile, near Exeter; Warleigh, on the Tamar. Single pairs 

 build in the woods near Totnes.— S. Hannaford, Jun. 



