)70 NATURALIST'S CABINET. 



Remarkable sagacity of young cuckoos. 



inity of a hedge, that I could distinctly see what 

 was going forward in it ; and, to my great asto- 

 nishment, saw the young cuckoo, though so 

 lately hatched, in the act of turning out the 

 young hedge-sparrow. The mode of accom- 

 plishing this was curious ; the little animal, with 

 the assistance of its rump and wings, contrived 

 to get the hird upon its back, aivd, making a 

 lodgment for its burthen by elevating its elbows, 

 climbed backwards with it up the side of the 

 nest till it reached the top ; where, resting for a 

 moment, it threw off its load with a jerk, and 

 quite disengaged it from the nest. After re- 

 maining a short time in this situation, and feel- 

 ing about with the extremities of its wings, as if 

 to be convinced that the business was properly 

 executed, it dropped into the nest again. I made 

 several experiments in different nests, by repeat- 

 edly putting in an egg to the young cuckoo ; 

 which I always found to be disposed of in the 

 same manner. It is very remarkable, that na- 

 ture seems to have provided for the singular dis- 

 position of the cuckoo, in its formation at this 

 period ; for, different from other newly-hatched 

 birds, its back, from the scapulae downward, is 

 very broad, with a considerable depression in the 

 middle, which seems intended by nature for the 

 purpose of giving a more secure lodgment to the 

 egg of the hedge-sparrow or its young one, whilq 

 the young cuckoo is employed in removing either 

 of them from the nest. When it is above twelve 



