136 British Birds^ 



could not possibly have been " laid " in tlie nest ; and 

 must almost certainly have been inserted by the aid 

 of the bill. How the Cuckoo found such a nest at all 

 was a marvel to me. As is more than suspected by 

 some enquirers and observers, the Cuckoo must watch 

 for its opportunities. The eggs are very small com- 

 pared with the size of the bird which produces them, 

 and strongly resemble some of the darker and more 

 closely freckled specimens of the House Sparrow's 

 ^cs' ^^^ ^^^ rather larger in size ; while Mr. Double- 

 day says some of them resemble those of the Pied 

 Wagtail— i^^;^. \^, plate IV, 



GREAT SPOTTED QJSQ^OO—iCoccystes 

 glandarius). 



Of the rarest occurrence. 



YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO— (r^^O^^^^ 



A inericanus), 



A rare visitor only. 



FAMILY IV.— UPUPID^. 



B.OOVO^—{Upupa epops). 



A casual visitor only, but still not so rare that 

 specimens are not obtained almost every year. In 

 fact, the whole appearance of the bird is so very 

 striking, that it is scarcely possible such a visitor 

 should pass without notice. It breeds in several 

 European countries. 



