THE CUCKOO 475 



example, be more difficult than to do BO from the neat of a Hkylark. 

 1 1 . again, the nest is built in a hank, the object, if ejected on the 

 upl>er ride, would simply roll back, as in the case observed by Mr. W. 

 II Hudson and described below. 1 



(8) Having evicted, or failed to evict, the nestling or egg, the 

 cuckoo sinks back exhausted into the nest, either at once or after 

 feeling about with the extremities of its naked anus to we, it is said, if 

 the business has been done. It has often been seen to feel in the same 

 way for its victim before starting to eject" The great sensitiveness of 

 the arm extremities, which seems to compensate for the creature's 

 blindness, has often been commented upon. They serve for hands, 

 and, regarded structurally, that is what in fact they are, the wing of 

 the bird being nothing but the reptilian fore-limb adapted to purposes 

 of flight The young cuckoo has been seen to eject not only eggs and 

 nestlings, but other objects placed in the nest, such as bits of dried 

 earth, sticks, and the like.' 



If two young cuckoos are born in the same nest, one is usually 

 ejected. Jenner records two instances. In one the struggle 

 began one morning a few hours after birth and lasted till the following 

 afternoon, when the weaker was turned out as well as the egg and 

 nestling of the hedge-sparrow owning the nest. During the struggle 

 each carried the other several times nearly to the top of the nest, then 

 only to sink back exhausted. 4 Mr. Craig also witnessed a desperate 

 struggle between two which were not two days old. The ejected 

 cuckoo was put back, and the fight began again. "Sometimes the 

 birds put the bill or head against the opposite side of the nest for 

 more pressure when commencing to climb. Several times the top 

 bird tumbled over the head of the other, like a rider falling over the 

 head of a horse. After a short respite the birds became extremely 

 restless, and again commenced the struggle." Next day one was 



P. 477. 



* Hancock, op. rtt. 



' XoolayiMl. 1888, 245 (R. P. Harper). 



4 I%9mtfki\u1 Trmuactiont of the Royal Sonfty. 1788, Uxriii. 228. 



VOL. II. :: r 



