THE EARLY LIFE OF THE YOUNG CUCKOO. 



The Cuckoo has always been the subject of considerable con- 

 troversy and debate, and with all our wonderful strides in the Scientific 

 world, we have as yet failed to solve many of the mysteries which 

 surround its life and habits 



No. 1. 



YOUNG CUCKOO. 

 Ejecting young Yellow Bunting, showing Cuckoo well up in the nest. 



With all our years of careful and patient observation, we have 

 not yet fathomed the mystery of why the Cuckoo does not build a 

 nest of its own, and as to how many eggs one female lays during a 

 season. True we have by this time exploded the altogether erroneous 

 statement that the bird lays its egg iu the nest of the species with 

 which it had decided to entrust its offspring, as it is now proved 

 beyond a doubt that the bird does not lay the egg in the nest, nor 

 does it carry the egg in its claws, but first lay the egg on the ground, 

 and carries it to the selected nest in its mouth! 



