General Notes on the Cuckoo. 15 



a nest, but this appears a very unlikely reason, and 

 there is still much to be learned in this respect. 



As to the number of eggs laid by one female, 

 opinions differ. Some say half-a-dozen, others as 

 many as a score, the laying season extending for a 

 period of about six weeks. Probably, if the latter 

 number is halved, we are somewhere near the exact 

 position of affairs. 



Extraordinary indeed are the nests chosen where- 

 in to lay its tgg — according to Mr. Bidwell's list 

 there are over 100 known species. 



At a meeting of the British Ornithologists' Club, 

 held on March 18th, 1896, an exhibition of Cuc- 

 koo's eggs and those of the foster-parents was held, 

 and the following list, prepared by Mr. Bidwell, 

 was laid before the meeting. 



List of Western Palaearctic species in the nest of 

 which the Cuckoo's t.gg has been found : Mistle 

 Thrush, Song Thrush, Fieldfare, Blackbird, Ring 

 Ouzel, Rock Thrush, Wheatear, Isabelline Wheat- 

 ear, Black-throated Wheatear, Eastern Black- 

 throated Chat, Eared Wheatear, Eastern Pied 

 Wheatear, Whinchat, Stonechat, White-tailed 

 Stonechat, Redstart, Black Redstart, Bluethroat, 



