Life-history of the Cuckoo. 117 
very interesting paper on the subject written in German, which 
has been put into my hands for translation. The article to which 
I allude “On the strange variation in the eggs of the Cuckoo,” ! 
was written so long as twelve years ago, by the celebrated orni- 
thologist, Dr. Baldamus of Stuttgart. The opinion which he then 
expressed, and the theory which he built upon the facts he had 
accumulated with reference to this subject, were published in the 
principal ornithological periodical of Germany, the Naumannia for 
18538, of which the same Dr. Baldamus is the talented editor. 
This opinion however has never been presented to the British 
public in an English dress, and consequently has never met with 
the attention in England which it deserves: moreover the rarity 
of meeting with the book which contains it, as well as the lengthy 
article, and scientific German, in which the author has developed 
his facts and his opinion, have helped to deter the general enquirer 
from entering upon a question, which to the ordinary observer will 
be found to be of considerable interest, and to the out-door natural- 
ist is worthy of most patient attention, as well as diligent investi- 
gation; and yet which notwithstanding its deep interest, and 
 eurious and extraordinary as it is, has probably never yet come 
before the notice (I may almost venture to say) of any one in this 
Society. 
Having thus introduced Dr. Baldamus and his paper, so that I 
need not hereafter break the thread of my story, I will begin by 
saying a few words upon other peculiarities of the Cuckoo, before 
I come to the chief subject of this article, the extraordinary colour- 
ing of its eggs 
I have ieaaty i in my last paper on the OnimMdligy of Wilts, given 
some general account of the bird, so that I need now only briefly 
recapitulate some of its chief characteristics. Thus I will remind my 
readers that it belongs to the large Order of Perching Birds, and to 
_ the Tribe of Climbers: that it is migratory, arriving in this country 
_ in April, and leaving in July: that its general appearance at a short 

distance, often leads the casual observer to mistake it for a hawk, 
_ ‘Neue Beitrige zur Fortpflanzungsgeschichte des Europaischen Kukkuks 
-(Cuculus canorus) yon E, Baldamus”. Naumannia, 1853, pp. 307—326. 
H2 
