322 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA. 
bird and its eggs. The cuckoo seems to prefer solitude, and keeps 
itself out of sight in thickets, where its harsh notes can be heard 
sounding like ‘‘cow-cow”’ or “‘cuckucow’’ repeated quickly several 
times. (Wunile.) 
A very common species in all the counties of eastern Ontario, 
especially at the foot of Lake Ontario, where early in June I have 
seen six or seven together. In 1897 I heard it at Pictou, N.S., and 
it was observed on the Magdalen islands in June, 1900. It usually 
builds ‘a nest in a swampy thicket; twice I have found the nest 
almost on the ground, once in an elm sapling six feet above, but 
this is very unusual. The average time for laying is the end of the 
first week in June in eastern Ontario. Usually I have found two 
or three eggs in a nest, but once five, and June 13th, 1900, seven. 
This bird appears to arrive later in spring than the yellow-billed 
and certainly goes away earlier in the fall. (Rev. C. J. Young.) 
A summer resident around Toronto, Ont. I have several times 
seen its nest. I have also found it breeding in Manitoba and in 
Saskatchewan as far west as the Qu’Appelle valley. (W. Raine.) 
This bird nests in a low bush at Ottawa, Ont. Nest composed of 
twigs, strips of bark, dry grass and leaves, lined with grass. Eggs 
two to five of a light greenish blue. (G.R. White.) Nests are found 
at Ottawa and at Lake Nominingue 100 miles north of it. They are 
made of branches and lined with dry leaves and catkins. The 
inside diameter has 2.50 inches by not more than one inch in depth, 
while the outside diameter has between 3 and 10 inches, according 
to the quantity of branches required for their solidity. They are 
built in coniferous trees and in all kinds of shrubs and placed at an 
elevation varying between 3 and ro feet. The birds breed in June 
and July. I have found nests containing from two to five eggs, 
and others with one young bird, one hatched egg and one fresh egg. 
(A. L. Garneau.) Usually lays three eggs but I have found nests 
with eight in them and I am inclined to think that occasionally 
more than one bird lays in the same nest. Two or three broods are 
raised in a season. (Criddle.) 
In the transactions of the Canadian Institute, Vol. I. pp. 48-50, 
an interesting account by Dr. C. K. Clarke of this cuckoo laying 
its eggs in the nests of other birds is published. Three cases are 
noted, and there is no doubt in the mind of the writer that the 
facts are as recorded by Dr. Clarke.. All the cases were noted at 
