Fulton. — The Long-tailed Cuckoo. 129 



and in a short time return and repeat the performance 

 with another nesthng "(92). " Only last year I noticed one 

 come out of a willow-tree from a Thrush's nest carrying a 

 Thrush's egg in its mouth, the adult Thrush chasing it "(93). 

 A Riversdale correspondent says, " I shot a very fine specimen 

 as it was flying from out of a hedge of gorse, and it had 

 a young Linnet in its beak, evidently just kidnapped "(94). 

 " Last summer I saw a Cuckoo fly across the garden with 

 a Thrush's egg in its beak, and two Thrushes in hot pursuit, 

 uttering wild cries of distress "(99). 



Mr. W. Milne, of Normanby, once saw his dog catch a 

 Cuckoo alive and bring it to him. The Cuckoo had a full- 

 grown Mocker (Aniliorais melanura) in its claws. The latter 

 was only just dead, was still warm, and the Cuckoo had 

 ^ready taken some pieces out of him, as the flesh was 

 exposed and torn in several places(95). Mr. Riddle, of 

 Orepuki, saw a Cuckoo chasing a number of Brown Creepers 

 [Certhiparus novcs - zealandice). One of these the Cuckoo 

 struck at and killed, and on attempting to pick the bird up 

 from the ground at Mr. Riddle's feet was nearly captured 

 by him(lOl). Sir Walter BuUer's case of the Cuckoo 

 which contained a Piopio I have already referred to. 

 Mr. George Byers, of Stirling, wounded a Cuckoo with 

 his " shanghai," and when the bird fell to the ground it 

 vomited up three little unfledged birds(40A;). Mr. Alfred 

 Reynolds saw a Cuckoo one day in his garden at River- 

 ton. It was eating an egg, which he thinks was that of a 

 Thrush (40/). Mr. Gallien, of Winton, when preparing a 

 Cuckoo for stuffing, found in its crop a complete young 

 Sparrow, barely feathered. He also saw a Cuckoo on one 

 occasion swoop on to a young Sparrow and fly away with 

 it. x\t another time he saw a Cuckoo attack a Sparrow's 

 nest, and, as far as he could see, either eat the eggs or young 

 ones, while the old Sparrows were flying round, very much 

 upset and making a great noise(40??i). Mr. Charles Bills 

 gives particulars of a Cuckoo dashing into his nets and 

 attacking a Parrakeet so fiercely that it was taken while 

 so engaged(40«). But there is no need for me to multiply 

 mstances. I have gathered sufficient to prove the occa- 

 sional hawk-like carnivorous habit of the Kohoperoa. There 

 is no doubt that he often robs Sparrows and other im- 

 ported birds of their young and eggs ; and this is very pro- 

 bably done by the male Cuckoo alone. The female Cuckoo, 

 if ever a thief, is no fool, and almost certainly refrains 

 from touching the eggs of birds in whose nests she deposits 

 her progeny. There are very few instances of egg-robbing 

 recorded, and those only since the introduction of English 

 birds; and, as the natural food of the Cuckoo has become 



9— Trans. 



