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of March ; but if this is so, the birds would appear to get confused 

 in their dates occasionally, as we have seen them re-habilitating 

 their old homes as early as the second week in February. In 

 Chambers's " Book of Days," the twelfth day after Candlemas 

 (0. S.) is similarly associated with the nesting habits of the ci'ow ; 

 and we are told the Eev. Dr Waugh used to relate that, on his 

 return from the first year's session at the University of Edinburgh, 

 his father's gardener undertook to give him a few lessons in 

 natural history. Among other things he told him that the 

 " craws " (rooks) always began building twelve days after Candle- 

 mas. Wishing to show off his learning, young Waugh asked the 

 old man if the craws counted by the old or by the new style, just 

 then introduced by Act of Parliament. Turning upon the young 

 student a look of contempt, the old gardener said : " Young man, 

 craws care naething for Acts of Parliament." We are disposed to 

 think they care just as little for popular beliefs, and that in the 

 matter of nest-building they observe no hard and fast rule whatso- 

 ever. The truth is that by the first Sunday in March, or even the 

 twelfth day after Candlemas, nest-building has become so general 

 that even the unobservant can no longer shut their eyes to the 

 fact. The Jackdaw {Connts Monedula) is plentiful. A few nest 

 in ruined buildings and in chimneys, but the greater number make 

 use of rabbit burrows. When White wrote his delightful 

 " Natural History of Sclborne," this habit of nesting in burrows 

 was considered something very remarkable, but we suppose 

 instances of its occurrence are now known to be frequent. The 

 Magpie {Pica Caudata) is now almost, if not quite, extirpated. 

 Our welcome visitor, the Cuckoo {Cuculiis Canorus) is common. 

 This bird's peculiar habits of nidification are well known, but I 

 have an incident which is probably unique. Robert Currie, shep- 

 herd at Castlehill, in the parish of Durrisdeer, while on his usual 

 morning round of inspection among the sheep stock under his care, 

 noticed a young bird lying on the ground. Lifting it, and looking 

 about him, he discovered a nest, which contained a similar 

 birdling, not far off, and in this nest he placed the birdling he had 

 picked up. Next morning, on making a return visit to the spot, 

 he was surprised to find the bird outside the nest again. He 

 replaced it once more, but soon afterwards found it outside as 

 before — this time dead from exposure. He then discovered that 

 both of the birds were young cuckoos, and each being actuated by 

 the instinct to eject its fellow-occupant from the nest. The 



