50 TRANSACTIONS OF THE CANADIAN INSTITUTE. [VoL. I. 



were then carefully picked up and placed in a cottonwool nest hung 

 up near by, in the hope that the old birds would look after their 

 young. However, the Cuckoo required a great deal of attention and 

 the natural, or rather unnatural result was that the young warbler* 

 were neglected and died in a short time. During the whole period the 

 old cuckoo was an interested observer of all that was going on, and 

 was always to be found flitting about the nest in a restless manner, as if 

 she had her doubts in regard to the ability of the warblers to take 

 care of her child. The young Ouckoo learned to navigate for himself 

 in course of time and disappeared eventually, but not before his 

 identity was completely established. 



Case III. — The third case is one that leaves no room for doubt in the 

 mind of the most sceptical. In an orchard we discovered a Cuckoo sitting 

 in a Chipping Sparrow's nest, and the bird did not attempt to move till 

 we almost touched it. It now seemed very evident that the case against 

 the bird was a strong one, and when a Cuckoo's egg was found in the 

 nest, the chain of evidence was complete. The egg was hatched and 

 produced a tyrannical young Cuckoo who turned his companions out of 

 the nest, and made himself as comfortable as ]^ossible as long as was 

 necessary. Two of us saw the old Cuckoo actually sitting in the nest, 

 and there was no doubt about the matter. We are informed that the 

 erratic nesting of the Cuckoo has been repeated in the same orchard 

 since the date referred to, but of this we have no accurate information. 



This is the evidence upon which I base my case against the American 

 Cuckoo, and I think the jury will find no difficulty in finding a verdict 

 of " guilty." Of course, the ornithological lawyer for the defence will 

 say these people do not know the difference between a " Cow blackbird 

 and a Cuckoo !" All that can be said in reply to this is that our Cuckoos 

 were not Cow hlaclibirds^ and if the Cuckoo is more degenerate in the 

 locality of Elora than in other places, so much the worse for the locality. 

 C. K.' Clakke, M.D., Kingston, Ont., 1885. 



37. Habia ludoviciana. — The Rose-breasted Grosbeak arrives here 

 according to season, from May 4 to 12, the males about five 

 days before the females, and leaves about September. It builds its 

 nest about June 1 ; lays three or four eggs, and hatches but once. If, 

 however, the nest is destroyed, which is very often the case, because it 

 is very slightly built of dry twigs, it builds again. The female sits on 

 the nest in the forenoon, then the male relieves her till dark, when she 

 takes the nest again. 



Although this Grosbeak has a very powerful bill like those of its tribe 



