ij6 The Natural History of Selborne 



the latter, the granivorous tribe, have strong muscular gizzards, 

 which, like mills, grind, by the help of small gravels and pebbles, 

 what is swallowed. This proceeding of the cuckoo, of dropping its 

 eggs as it were by chance, is such a monstrous outrage on maternal 

 affection, one of the first great dictates of nature ; and such a 

 violence on instinct ; that, had it only been related of a bird in the 

 Brazils, or Peru, it would never have merited our belief. But yet, 

 should it farther appear that this simple bird, when divested of that 

 natural aropyri that seems to raise the kind in general above them- 

 selves, and inspire them with extraordinary degrees of cunning and 

 address, may be still endued with a more enlarged faculty of 

 discerning what species are suitable and congenerous nursing-mothers 

 for its disregarded eggs and young, and may deposit them only 

 under their care, this would be adding wonder to wonder, and 

 instancing, in a fresh manner, that the methods of Providence are 

 not subjected to any mode or rule, but astonish us in new lights, and 

 in various and changeable appearances. 1 



What was said by a very ancient and sublime writer concerning 

 the defect of natural affection in the ostrich, may be well applied to 

 the bird we are talking of : 



" She is hardened against her young ones, as though they were not hers : 

 " Because God hath deprived her of wisdom, neither hath he imparted to" her 

 understanding" * 



ghiery. Does each female cuckoo lay but one egg in a season, 

 or "does she drop several in different nests according as opportunity 

 offers ? 2 I am, &c. 



* Job xxxix. 1 6, 17. 



1 The cuckoo lays its eggs for the most part in the nests of birds much smaller 

 than itself. This is probably in order that the young cuckoo may be markedly 

 stronger than its fellow-nestlings, and so able to oust its unhappy little foster- 

 brothers from the nest when necessary. It is quite true that cuckoos lay in the 

 nests of chaffinches j but there is no such objection to this procedure as White 

 supposes : for all the finches, as well as some other hard-billed birds, though they 

 subsist in the adult stage on grains and acorns, feed their callow young upon grubs 

 and caterpillars. It is not likely, on the other hand, that the cuckoo would lay in 

 a ring-dove's nest, because the ring-dove would notice the marked difference in 

 size, and the young ring-doves would also be quite as strong as the young cuckoo, 

 better able to oust it than it would be to oust them. ED. 2 The cuckoo lays 

 several eggs yearly, dropping them about in different nests as chances offer. ED. 



