78 ON THE MOORLANDS 
lay its own eggs,’ which was meant to express 
the fact, now common _ knowledge, that 
the bird does not build a nest but chooses 
that of some other bird, often that of the 
robin or hedge-sparrow, for the purpose of 
depositing its eggs. It lays only one egg at 
a time in each nest, ejecting one or two from 
the chosen nest 1n order to make room for it. 
The bird is said to lay it on the ground, and 
place it in the nest with its beak', for it is 
obviously impossible for the cuckoo to sit in 
the -nest -of such: Small birds. 9 Biem crea 
young cuckoo often proves a sad tax on its 
smaller foster-parents in the matter of rearing. 
They have often been ‘observed to teca 
the hungry youngster well day after day, 
until he can provide for himself, whilst 
entirely neglecting their own young, which 
are frequently allowed to perish. It is 
alleged, too, that the cuckoo can vary the size 
and colour of its eggs according to the nest 
it chooses. The eggs are generally larger than 
those of its host, and of a reddish grey or 
greenish colour. On account of their robbing 
1 Some say with it’s foot. 
