CUCULID^:. 267 



meadow ; I reached the bird within twenty yards, and 

 observed it in the act of progressing, in a similar 

 way to the crawling of a Parrot, by the side of a 

 drain, with the substance still in its beak : after 

 traversing some distance it stopped short, and at the 

 same time I fired. Upon nearing it I found the 

 substance before mentioned to be its egg, I am sorry 

 to say broken, but still quite satisfactory that this 

 was the case. I think in all probability this bird was 

 searching for a nest, perhaps that of the Meadow 

 Pipit, for the depositing of its egg." All these facts, 

 I think, make it sufficiently clear that the Cuckoo 

 does not lay but places her egg in the nest of some 

 other bird after it has been laid. I have, as well as 

 I am able, made out a list of the various birds in 

 whose nests the Cuckoo has been known to place its 

 eggs in England ; on the Continent the list may be 

 considerably increased : for the more unusual ones 

 I have given my authority, for the others I have not 

 thought it worth while to do so. t 



Blackbird, Yarrett. 



Hedgesparrow. 



Robin. 



Redstart. 



Whitethroat, Yarrell 



Reed Warbler. Several instances in the 'Zoologist' 



and also Montagu's Dictionary, by Newman. 

 Wood Warbler, ' Zoologist 'for 1863. 

 Willow Warbler, Yarrell. 

 Pied Wagtail. 





