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geniture who may have been preserved from previous expulsion, 

 is well known. 'Two Cuckoos and a Hedge-Sparrow,' says 

 Dr. Jenner, in his account of this strange bird, published in 

 the 'Transactions of the Eoyal Society,' for the year 1788, 

 'were hatched in the same nest, this morning, (June 27th., 

 1787:) one Hedge-Sparrow's egg remained unhatched. In a 

 few hours after a contest began between the Cuckoos for the 

 possession of the nest, which continued undetermined till the 

 next afternoon; when one of them, which was somewhat su- 

 perior in size, turned out the other, together with the young 

 Hedge-Sparrow and the unhatched egg. This contest was 

 very remarkable the combatants alternately appeared to have 

 the advantage, as each carried the other several times nearly 

 to the top of the nest, and then sank down again, oppressed 

 by the weight of its burden; till at length, after various 

 efforts, the strongest prevailed, and was afterwards brought 

 up by the Hedge-Sparrows.' 



In some instances, as for example where the nest is built 

 on the ground, and especially if in a hollow, it may be im- 

 possible for the young Cuckoo to turn out his companion or 

 companions, and in one such case four young Wagtails were 

 found lying dead beneath the usurper of their abode. Other 

 birds who have young in the vicinity, display great apparent 

 repugnance to the young Cuckoo. On the other hand there 

 is an instance of an exactly opposite character, related in the 

 'Magazine of Natural History,' vol. vi, page 83, by Mr. Ensor. 

 In the neighbourhood of Ardress, the son of a tenant found 

 a Cuckoo in the nest of a Titlark. 'He brought it home, 

 and fed it. In a few days, two Wrens, which had a nest 

 with eight eggs, in the eaves, and just above the window 

 fronting the cage in which the Cuckoo was placed, made 

 their way through a broken pane, and continued to feed it 

 for some time. The cage was small, and the boy preferring 

 a Thrush to the Cuckoo, took it away, to give greater room 

 to the Thrush. On this the Wrens repaired to their own 

 nest, and brought out the eggs that had been laid.' 



Bishop Stanley relates the two following somewhat similar 

 incidents: 'A young Cuckoo was taken from the nest of a 

 Hedge-Sparrow, and in a few days afterwards, a young Thrush, 

 scarcely fledged, was put into the same cage. The latter 

 could feed itself, but the Cuckoo, its companion, was obliged 

 to be fed with a quill; in a short time, however, the Thrush 

 took upon itself the task of feeding its fellow-prisoner, and 



