1917-] Letters, Extracts, and Notes. 461 



Now, under a sub-heading — " The authentic facts 

 known-" — in section (c) I notice the following statement : — 

 The foster-parents "continue to feed it (the Cuckoo) for 

 some time after it has left the nest, and, owing to its size, 

 often have to do so by perching on its head." I have had 

 intimate dealings with more than one Cuckoo at this stage in 

 its existence, but I have never yet seen either foster-parent 

 perch on the baby's head. I have seen them perch on the 

 young Cuckoo's back, and indeed on its breast. In this 

 latter case the head and neck of the Cuckoo were thrown 

 right back, thus providing a resting-place for the foster- 

 parent's feet. This position of alighting I have only once 

 observed, and I was lucky in obtaining a photograph of it. 



Now, does the foster-parent ever perch on the head of the 

 Cuckoo ? According to Major Meiklejohn it is an authentic 

 fact that it does. What I am not clear about is whether by 

 head he refers to the position somewhere on and above the 

 Cuckoo. If the baby had its foster-mother perched on its 

 head, it seems to me that the act of feedmg would be a 

 most difficult one, and perhaps impossible. I merely wish 

 for information on the above point, which is of some 

 interest. 



May I further be allowed to call attention to a later 

 statement in the same article p. 219?: — "Of these latter, 

 the first four birds (Wren, Willow-Warbler, W^ood- Warbler, 

 ChiflFchaff) invariably refuse to hatch the Cuckoo's egg." 

 This may be true of the last three species named above, 

 but is certainly untrue of the Wren. There is a well- 

 known photograph by the late Colonel Moore, which shows 

 a baby Cuckoo being fed in the nest of a Wren. This photo- 

 graph has been reproduced in ' Wild Life,' and may be seen 

 on p. 297, vol. i. no. 5, May 1913. 



It seems rather dangerous to state as a '"''fact " that 

 certain species " mvaj'iably " reimse to hatch the Cuckoo's 

 egg. Such a number of things take place in nature behind 

 our backs that sweeping statements are often upset by our 

 friends. I should like very much to try the effect of placing 

 Cuckoos' eggs in a number of Willow- Warblers' nests and 



