145 



THE CUCKOO. 



Cuculus caiiorus, L. 



The Cuckoo arrived along the whole of the south coast, but 

 in largest numbers from Hampshire westwards. 



It was first reported in Sussex and Shropshire on the 

 7th of April, and scattered birds were evidently arriving 

 during the following week. 



A small immigratory movement took place along the 

 greater portion of the south coast between the 14th and lGtb 

 of April, and was followed by one of larger dimensions 

 between the 19th and 24th. It was clear that a considerable 

 number of Cuckoos arrived during these two movements and 

 passed rapidly northwards. The earlier arrivals travelled 

 chiefly through the western counties and Wales, and reached 

 the Isle of Man and Westmoreland on the 21st and Cumber- 

 land, Ayrshire and Renfrewshire on the 22nd. The birds 

 belonging to the eastern side of the kingdom seem to have 

 arrived during the latter half of this movement, some of 

 them passing Spurn Head on the Yorkshire coast reached 

 Northumberland on the 23rd. 



A third immigration of considerable dimensions landed on 

 the greater part of the south coast between the 27th of April 

 and the 1st of May, and again the largest numbers seem to 

 have passed through the western half of the country. A 

 fourth arrival may have taken place on the 12th of May, 

 but this is uncertain, though a passage-migration seems to 

 have been in progress up to the 17th. 



An egg was found in Kent in a Hedge-Sparrow's nest 

 and in Surrey in a Linnet's nest on the 1st of May, in a 



