lo Life History of C(niinio)i Cuckoo. 



But even Eckermann did not know some of the 

 blackest facts about the cuckoo and its ways. Every 

 new fact discovered, indeed, seems only to make him 

 blacker. He not only drops his eggs in other birds' 

 nests, but his young are specially armed with powers 

 to throw^ out of the nest the true children of the birds 

 under whose protection they have been placed, so 

 that they may have no competitors in demanding food 

 from the foster-parents, who devote themselves in a 

 truly wonderful manner to feeding and nurturing these 

 intruders and aliens. 



II. 



Difficulties, however, begin at the very start in 

 the study of this strange bird-monster — our common 

 cuckoo, scientifically, Cuculus caiiorus. For a long 

 time it was thought that when it had fixed upon the 

 nest it meant to drop its egg in, it watched a favour- 

 able opportunity and sat upon the nest till it had 

 deposited its burden. But it has been found that the 

 cuckoo drops its eggs into nests so small and so 

 formed that it is impossible the bird could have sat 

 upon the nest. Its egg has even been found in domed 

 nests. It chooses various nests, from those of the 

 Meadow-pipit, Hedge-sparrow, and Wagtail, up to 

 those of the Red-backed Shrike, the Bunting, taking 

 no end of nests between, including those of the Reed- 

 wren, the Redstart, the Icterine Warbler, and some- 

 times even using those, though that must be excep- 

 tional, of the House-sparrow, Jay, Thrush, and Wood- 

 pigeon. Almost every bird whose nest is the least 

 suitable is victimised. 



