

BRITISH BIRDS. 26<) 



days, the Cuckoo contrives to deposit her egg 

 among the rest, leaving the future care of it 

 entirely to the Hedge Sparrow. This intrusion 

 often occasions discomposure, for the Hedge Spar- 

 row at intervals, whilst sitting, not only throws 

 out some of her own eggs, but injures others in 

 such a way, that they become addle, so that not 

 more than two or three of them are hatched along 

 with that of the Cuckoo, and what is very remark- 

 able, she never throws out or injures the egg of the 

 intruder. When she has disengaged the young 

 Cuckoo and her own offspring from the shell, her 

 young ones, and any of her eggs that remain un- 

 hatched, are soon turned out by the young Cuckoo, 

 who then remains in full possession of the nest, 

 and becomes the sole object of the care of its 

 foster parents. The young birds are not pre- 

 viously killed, nor the eggs demolished, but all 

 are left to perish together, either entangled in 

 the bush, which contains the nest, or lying on 

 the ground near it. The mode of accomplishing 

 the ejectment is curious : the Cuckoo very soon 

 after being hatched, and consequently while it is 

 yet blind, contrives with its rump and wings to 

 get the Hedge Sparrow, or the egg, upon its 

 back, and making a lodgement for its burden by 

 elevating its elbows, clambers backwards with it 

 up the side of the nest, till it reaches the top, 

 where, resting for a moment, it throws off its load 

 w r ith a jerk, and quite disengages it from the nest; 

 after remaining a short time in this situation, and 

 feeling about with the extremities of its wings, 

 as if to be convinced that the business has been 

 properly executed, it drops into the nest again. 



