142 Stray Notes of the Saisoit. 



known to take a subsequent interest in its Ci^ys and even youni,^ 

 when hatched, but has it ever been su.^• .jested or recorded that 

 they will remove their eggs in case of danger ? It does seem a 

 possibility. I may add that on June 24th 1 found two Hedge 

 .Sparrows' nests, each with three eggs and a Cuckoo's — one 

 forty-seven yards from where the Wagtail's nest was, and the 

 other seventy-seven yards on beyond the first, all in the same 

 garden; the nearer of these two clutches was slightly incubated, 

 the Hedge Sparrow's eggs being- of a very deep blue type and 

 small; the other clutch was perfectly fresh, tnough the bird was 

 sitting, but they were of a perfectly different type, very long 

 and light greenish-blue, and might almost have been taken for 

 Wheatear's eggs. The two Cuckoo's eggs were of entirely 

 different type and assimilated more or less to their respective 

 clutches, one being oval and lightly marked with grey, the 

 other elongated and well marked with brown. The former is 

 about an inch long, and the latter seven-eighths of an inch. 

 Each exceeds by about one-eighth of an inch the length of the 

 eggs in it3 clutch. Again 1 searched everywdiere within two 

 or three hundred yards but found no more Hedge Sparrows' 

 nests and no more Cuckoos' eggs! 



Another deduction which may seem to be drawn from the 

 first part of my story is that the CXickoo finds the nests in the 

 first place by seeing the birds building. 



Stray Notes of the Season.] 



By Wesley T. Page, F.Z.S., M.B.O.U. 



These indeed must be very much stray notes, for I have 

 been so occupied with many things that I have frequently only 

 seen ni}^ birds once during the week. Owing to the adverse 

 and frequently changing w'eather conditions, there is much more 

 of failure to chronicle than success, even with such species as 

 usually triumph over our inconsequent English weather, and T 

 fear the same record will prevail in many (most) aviaries this 

 season. 



Doves, which usually do well here, have only up to the 



