162 BIRDS OF LOCH AND MOUNTAIN 



The young Cuckoo heaves its companions out 

 of the nest by getting underneath them and lifting 

 them on to its shoulders, and then flings them out 

 to perish miserably. When the Cuckoo is fully 

 fledged and has left the nest, the foster-parents 

 continue feeding it for some little time until it 

 is fully able to take care of itself. 



Occasionally, two Cuckoo's eggs are found in a 

 Meadow Pipit's nest, but this is very rarely the 

 case. 



The Heather Lintie's call note is an oft-repeated 

 " Zizick, zizick," or " Sphink, sphink." The male 

 has a song very like his near relative the Tree Pipit. 

 Flying up to a good height, he descends precipitately 

 to the ground, meanwhile uttering his song, but the 

 notes he uses on his ascent are different from those 

 during the downward flight. 



The first brood are able to look after themselves 

 by the month of June, when the majority of the 

 parent birds start housekeeping afresh, and I have 

 seen newly-hatched young as late as the middle 

 of July. The Linties are very anxious when 

 any danger threatens their young, and fly rest- 

 lessly around the intruder with their bills full of 

 food, calling incessantly. 



It is interesting to notice that the fact 

 of their having food in their mouth in no way 

 interferes with their call notes. They feed the 

 young principally on insects, daddy-longlegs being 

 a very favourite morsel, and the long legs may be 

 seen sticking out of the captor's mouth. 



Even as late as August an occasional Meadow 

 Pipit will be seen collecting food for her brood, 

 but by this month the majority of the birds have 

 finished their nesting cares. Until late October, or 



