THE CUCKOO 163 



his bill. Another old man, a Broadsman, assures me ihey 

 often suck reed-buntings' eggs, and he has seen them at it, 

 and that they hunt the stuff regularly for them. 



Finally, 1 have opened several cuckoos' crops at the 

 beginning of the season, and have upon some occasions 

 found a yellowish substance, which looked to me like 

 nothing but egg. And there I must leave this much-vexed 

 question, merely adding that I believe cuckoos do suck eggs, 

 as do most predatory birds. 



When the birds first come over, they hang about certain 

 parts of the marshes ; but in no case have I seen them take 

 and keep stations, as has been said ; indeed, they are con- 

 stantly on the move, though they may feed about one place 

 for some days ; but so many mistakes are made by the in- 

 experienced by mistaking hawks and night-jars for cuckoos, 

 for their flight is similar. 



After the first batch arrives, these strange birds keep 

 coming over in relays, spreading over the face of the 

 Broadlands, when they soon begin courting, chasing each 

 other, flying low and straight over the green marshes and 

 reed-beds, calHng "cuckoo," and chortUng or saying "cuck- 

 cuck-cuckoo-oo," bounding up with the curious hissing 

 noise spoken of by the gunner. And you may know their 

 courting flights, for the titlarks join in the chase, but 

 whether amicable or hostile I know not ; sometimes their 

 behaviour seems the one, sometimes they seem to cut at 

 the cuckoo. The marshmen say they often hear the cuckoo 

 talking to the titlarks and sedge-warblers, the birds answer- 

 ing them ; and then, they say, they're on the look-out to 

 suck their eggs and lay their own in the nest. "At this 

 season," the fenmen say, " they are very attentive, along 

 with the cuckoos." And I can corroborate their low hunting 

 flights and apparent association. 



And after the pairing comes the laying, the nests usually 

 chosen in the Broads being the titlark's and sedge-warbler's, 

 more rarely the robin's, wagtail's, and hedge-sparrow's nests. 



