OF SELBORNE 167 



structure of their parts, which incapacitates them for incubation. 

 According to this gentleman, the crop, or craw of a cuckoo does 

 not lie before the sternum at the bottom of the neck, as in the 

 gallinae, culumbce, &c., but immediately behind it, on and over the 

 bowels, so as to make a large protuberance in the belly. 1 



Induced by this assertion, we procured a cuckoo ; and, cutting 

 open the breast-bone, and exposing the intestines to sight, found 

 the crop lying as mentioned above. This stomach was large and 

 round, and stuffed hard like a pin-cushion with food, which, upon 

 nice examination, we found to consist of various insects ; such as 

 small scarabs, spiders, and dragon-flies ; the last of which we have 

 seen cuckoos catching on the wing as they were just emerging 

 out of the aurelia state. Among this farrago also were to be 

 seen maggots, and many seeds, which belonged either to goose- 

 berries, currants, cranberries, or some such fruit ; so that these 

 birds apparently subsist on insects and fruits : nor was there the 

 least appearance of bones, feathers, or fur, to support the idle notion 

 of their being birds of prey. 



The sternum in this bird seemed to us to be remarkably short, 

 between which and the anus lay the crop, or craw, and immediately 

 behind that the bowels against the back-bone. 



the grass the dew-pond is receiving moisture, and this moisture, owing to the shade 

 of the overhanging tree, is partly preserved throughout the day, so that sheep or 

 cattle may drink daily from a small shallow pond which receives no rain, and yet 

 the pond be not exhausted unless the nights are exceptionally dry." 



In "The Natural History of Isolated Ponds," a paper contributed to the 

 Transactions of the Norfolk and Norwich Naturalists' Society, vol. v., Mr. Reid 

 points out that isolated dew-ponds contain many forms of animal and vegetable 

 life. Human agency is not likely to be concerned, for it is rare that a vehicle, a 

 spade, or even the boots of a shepherd are brought to a dew-pond from the low 

 levels. " The sheep remain on the downs, and when taken to the lower lands to 

 fatten they do not come back again ; when transferred to lower ground during 

 severe weather they are kept as far as possible on dry spots." Among the 

 plants are enumerated species of Ranunculus, Potamogeton, Elodea, Zannichellia, 

 Juncus and Chara ; the animals include species of Limncsa and Planorbi s ; the 

 stickleback was found once. Mr. Reid believes that these species are most often 

 transported on the feet of birds. Dr. G. S. Brady, F.R.S. , finds in dew-ponds 

 "a somewhat restricted entomostracan fauna, similar in kind to that of the 

 surrounding country". Owing to the artificial, and in most cases the recent origin 

 of these isolated ponds, examination of their fauna and flora gives valuable infor- 

 mation as to the facility with which certain aquatic species can be dispersed. 



Mr. T. W. Shore has observed dew-ponds near ancient British camps, and 

 believes that this method of obtaining water may have been known to the people 

 (probably of the Bronze Age) who made the camps. 



A discussion on dew-ponds will be found in the Report of the British Association 

 for 1900.] 



1 Histoire de I'Acadtmie Roy ale, 1752. 



