Ififi NATURALISTS CABINET- 



Singular disposal of its egg. 



The well-known cry of the cuckoo is generally 

 heard about the middle of April, and ceases about 

 the latter end of June : its stay is short, the old 

 cuckoos being said to quit this country early in 

 July. These birds are generally supposed to 

 huild no nest; but, what is also extraordinary, 

 the female" cuckoo deposits her solitary egg, 

 which is smaller than that of a house-sparrow, 

 in that of another bird, by whom it is hatched. 

 The nests she chuses for this purpose are gene- 

 rally selected from those of the following birds; 

 the hedge-sparrow, water-wagtail, titlark, yellow- 

 hammer, green-linnet, or the whinchat. Of these 

 it has been observed, that she shows much the 

 greatest partiality to the nest of the hedge-spar- 

 ijow. The growth of the young cuckoo is ex- 

 tremely rapid ; it has a plaintive chirp, but not 

 learned from its foster-parents, and it never ac- 

 quires the adult note during its stay in this 

 country. 



The following accurate observations relative 

 to the economy of this bird in the singular dis- 

 ,posal of its egg, were communicated to the 

 Royal Society by Mr. Edward Jenner, and pub- 

 lished in the Transactions, vol. 78, part 2. 



" During the time the hedge-sparrow is laying 

 her eggs, which generally occupies four or five 

 days, the cuckoo contrives to deposit her egg 

 among the rest, leaving the future care of it en- 

 tirely to the hedge-sparrow. This intrusion often, 

 occasions some disorder ; for the old hedge-spar- 



