462 Observations on the Cuckoo. 
grass, when a pair of titlarks attacked it with 
such fury, that they pulled several small fea- 
thers offit. Their loud cries and violent ges- 
ticulations attracted the notice of several people 
at work near the spot, who by throwing stones 
at the cuckoo drove it to some distance: how- 
ever, it soon returned, and though repeatedly 
annoyed, persevered till it ultimately accom- 
plished its purpose, by laying in the nest of the 
larks. As this bird was on the very eve of 
its departure, for I did not seea single old 
cuckoo that year after the 25th of June, the 
case was an urgent one, and may account for 
its unremitted exertions. This fact proves 
also, how very late in the season cuckoos’ 
egg's are occasionally laid. . 
On the 30th of June last, (1823,) I took a 
young cuckoo that was hatched in a titlark’s 
nest, on White Moss, on the 28th: seven days 
after old birds had quitted that neighbourhood ; 
and this nestling, while in my possession, turn- 
ed both young birds and eggs out of its nest, 
in whichI placed them for the purpose, and 
gave me an opportunity of contemplating at 
Jeisure the whole process of this astonishing 
proceeding, so minutely and accurately de- 
scribed by Mr. Jenner. I observed, that this 
bird, though so young, threw itself backwards 
with considerable force when any thing touch- 
