The most i)robable opinion on fhis subject is, that as quails anti 

 woodcocks siiift their habitations in winter, so also does the 

 cuckoo ; but to what country it retires, or whether it has ever 

 been seen on its journey, are questions that I am wholly incapa- 

 ble of resolving. 



the young birds are ofton observed to remain for a much longer period. 

 Tlu" ri'piiti'd story of the cuckoo making- no nest of its own, but depositing 

 its eg-g- in that of some other bird, to be hatclied, and tlie young- one rcaretl 

 by foster parents, lias, ivitliin tlicse late years, been fully substantiated, and 

 found to have its origin in fact It appears that the nest of the hedge-ac- 

 rentor is the one most frequently selected by the cuckoo in the soutJi of 

 England ; sometimes, however, that of the yellow-hammer, the wag-tail, and 

 the meadow-pipit, answer its purpose. In Northumberland, the nest of the 

 last mentioned bird is the one almost always chosen. Taking advantage of 

 the absence of its dupe, during the time of laying (which generally occupies 

 four or five days), the cuckoo deposits its egg among tlie rest, abandoning 

 it, from that moment, to the care of the foster. parent. As the same period 

 of incubation is common to both birds, the eggs are hatched nearly toge- 

 ther, which no sooner takes place, than the young cuckoo proceeds instinc- 

 tively to eject its young companions, and any remaining eggs, from the nest. 

 To effect this object, it contrives to work itself under its burden (the back, 

 at this early age, being provided with a peculiar depression between t)ie 

 shoulders), and shuffling backwards to the edge of the nest, by a jirk rids 

 itself of the incumbrance ; and this operation is repeated, till the whole be- 

 ing thrown over, it remains sole possessor. This particular tendency pre- 

 vails for about twelve days, after which the hoUow space between the 

 shoulders is filled up ; and when prevented from accomplishing its purpose 

 till the expiration of that time, as if conscious of inability, it suffers its com- 

 panions to remain unmolested. The egg of the cuckoo is very small in pro- 

 portion to the size of the bird, which circiunstance is in close connection 

 with the instinct, that directs it to choose for its depository the nest of a 

 smaller species. Tf it selected that of a larger bird, the offspring that its 

 young one would have to contend with, being its equal, perhaps its supe. 

 rior, in size and weight, would consequently frustrate the design, and the 

 young cuckoo would perish in the vain endeavour at the sole possession of 

 the nest. It is an opinion very commonly entertained, that this bird sucks 

 the other eggs in the nest, where it deposits its own, but there appears to 

 be no reason for supposing this to be the case; the belief ha5, without 

 doubt, arisen from the fact of the young cuckoo being so often found sole 

 tenant, after the expulsion of its copartners. It has been suggested by 

 Montagu, that the cuckoo may possess the power of retainingits egg in the 

 ovoduct at pleasure, otherwise it would be difficult to account for some 

 phenomena connected with its history. 



The continuation of the species appears to require such a pro%nsinn to 



have been granted, for, as he observes, if the cuckoo was obliged, like 



other birds, to lay its eggs, five or six in number, successively day after 



day, it is haj dly probable it could find (within that time) sufficient nests in 



HI. K 



