254 CORRESPONDENCE. 



Cuckoo. — Your correspondents, in answer to "N.'a" enquiry in the 

 July number of " The Midland Naturalist," regarding the note of the 

 cuckoo, concur in stating that the frequent repetition of the first pai-t of 

 its note is very common. Such is my own observation ; but is not Mr. 

 J. R. Thompson mistaken in saying that this only occurs just before the 

 bird is about to leave us, as I have frequently noticed the circumstance 

 soon after the cuckoo's arrival in May '? At the former-named period, 

 however, its note is often very hoarse and peculiar, much like the sound 

 produced by the truiupeter pigeon. The question of the cuckoo's 

 incubation is a more important and interesting one. It is, I fancy, 

 quite unique in the habit of depositing its egg in the nest of another bird, 

 and this invariably an insectivorous one — usually a wagtail or a hedge- 

 spaiTow. It is sometimes asked how can this be managed, where the 

 nest, as often happens, is in such a position as to make it impossible for 

 the cuckoo to go in and lay its egg Uke any other bird ? I am assured 

 that the egg is first laid and then conveyed to its destination in the 

 cuckoo's mouth or throat. An accident, which lately occurred near 

 here, seems to confirm this explanation of the difficulty. A cuckoo flew 

 against a plate-glass window and fell stunned by the blow. It was taken 

 up and a little water spx'iulded on it to revive it, when it was seen to 

 vomit an egg, apparently from its throat. It then soon recovered, and 

 was set at hberty. A few days later a cuckoo, possibly the same bird, 

 was observed chnging to a mass of jasmine close to the same spot, and 

 an egg was deposited in a water-wagtail's nest, situated within the bush. 

 A young cuckoo was soon afterwards hatched and reared there by the 

 wagtails, and was an object of much interest to the inmates of the house 

 during its growth and after it had left the nest, being, appai'eutly, tended 

 with the greatest solicitude by its foster parents. Can any of your readers 

 supply fuxiiher information on this subject ? — Aktuur S. Male, More 

 Rectory. 



An Apple Tree in my garden, bearing fruit, has this week put out 

 blossoms on one branch, a thing I never observed at so late a date before. 

 Wm. Elliot, Cardington Vicarage, Church Strettou, Aug. 9th, 1878. 



Mirage, seen by Capt. A. E. Lawson Lowe, (from the camp of tho 

 North Durham Militia, at Redcar.) — Capt. Lowe writes: — -"This mirage 

 occurred on July lyth, 1878, on an intensely hot day, (the temperature 

 said to be 9G° in the shade,) a little before six in the aftei-noon. Looking 

 towards Hartlepool, (about six miles off,) the distance being particularly 

 clear, every object in the town was distinctly visible. About a quarter of 

 an hour later a slight haze seemed to rise along the sea line, stretching 

 quite across in front of Hartlepool, and when next I looked the whole 

 town was reflected upside down in the sky. Every object was exactly 

 reproduced in a reverse position up to a certain height, where the mirage 

 was cut oft" by a clearly defined line, above which was the blue sky. 

 Exactly in fi-oiit of Redcar, out at sea, the ships were not reversed, but 

 appeared distorted, their masts and sails being carried up, as it were, to 

 twice their actual height. More to the right the ships appeared reversed 

 in the same manner as was the town of Hartlepool ; and at the extreme 

 right, besides the reversed ships, each vessel had a shadowy reiirosenta- 

 tion of itself at a little distance to tho right. The phenomenon lasted 

 about ten minutes. Several of tho officers were out fishing at the time, 

 about a mile and a half from shore, and although they noticed the lino of 

 haze, the mii'age was not visible from where they were." 



AoAVE Americana (the American Aloe.) — Two of these rarely 

 flowering plants have tliis year bloomed in the conservatory at Sudbourne 

 Hall, Wickham Market, Ruft'olk, the seat of Sir Richai-d Wallace. The 

 plants are about 21ft. high, with branches very short and thickly set 



