The Cuckoo. 127 



In this case the egg was unquestionably de- 

 posited with the bill, while the same instrument 

 must have been used to eject the Robin's eggs, 

 thus saving the young Cuckoo when hatched the 

 trouble of getting rid of the young Robins by 

 muscular exertions. Next year a Cuckoo's egg 

 was laid in a Hedge-sparrow's nest in an adjoining 

 garden ; buj: the intended foster-parents wisely 

 deserted, and I was able to take possession of 

 the nest and eggs. Every year in June we are 

 sure to notice a persistent cuckooing close by us, 

 and nearly every year an egg is found in some 

 nest in the village. Once (I think it was at the 

 time when the Robin was the victim) boys re- 

 ported that they saw a cuckoo sitting on a bough 

 hard by, with an egg in its bill. There is no 

 doubt whatever that the bill can hold the egg, 

 which is hardly as large as a starling's. 



We have another much smaller bird in the 

 village which can hold large objects between its 

 mandibles objects almost as large, and some- 



1 The discovery in Germany (see the Ibis for April, 1889) of 

 a Cuckoo hatching its own egg should put all English observers 

 on the look-out. We have taken it too much for granted that 

 such a thing could not happen. 



