Observations on the Cuckoo. 459 
immediately adjoining our family residence ; 
and as I am certain that all the cuckoos be- 
longing to the township of Crumpsall, in 
which it is situated, did not come to roost with 
us on these occasions, and asit is very pro- 
bable that I did not see all that did come, I 
think, though the number of males is reported 
to exceed that of females, that four will not 
be considered a high average for the latter 
in Crumpsall, which contains 3,301,816 
square yards, nor three too high as a general 
average foran equal area; since Mr. Jenner 
remarks, that cuckoos are numerous in Glou- 
cestershire, and Colonel Montagu states that 
they are plentiful in Devonshire ;* and I 
know from my own observation, that they 
are much more abundant in many parts of 
Lancashire, Cheshire, Derbyshire, Stafford- 
shire, Warwickshire, and also in Westmore- 
land and Cumberland, especially in the 
neighbourhood of the Lakes, than they are 
with us. I am informed likewise, that they 
are very plentiful in Yorkshire, and also in 
the principality of Wales, The mean num- 
ber of eggs laid by those birds that are usually 
selected by the cuckoo to provide for its pro- 
geny is five. Now according to Pinkerton, 
* Ornithological Dictionary, Introduction, p. 10. 
