VOL. XIII.] NOTES. 139 



probably the male. The first one was evidently a female, 

 judging by its subsequent activities and general appearance. 

 Soon after the Cuckoos had passed me about six Meadow- 

 Pipits {Anthus pratensis) joined in a pursuit of the female. 

 Then the cock bird went away from her and she flew up and 

 down the marsh four or five times. When she did this it 

 was curious to see a Meadow-Pipit attack her furiously as 

 she passed a particular spot. Twice I saw it actually settle 

 on her back and hang on to a feather. On both occasions 

 the Pipit was knocked off to the ground by the Cuckoo 

 making a sudden turn to one side. The Cuckoo subsequently 

 settled in this spot, and three Pipits kept on flying up into the 

 air, then down on to the ground near her. This they -gave 

 up doing after about ten minutes. Norman H. Joy. 



ONE PAIR OF MEADOW-PIPITS FEEDING 

 TWO YOUNG CUCKOOS. 



On the " Burrows " at Tenby, on August 7th, 1919, I watched 

 two young Cuckoos tended by a single pair of Meadow-Pipits. 

 They were practically full grown and fairly strong in flight, 

 though they frequently alighted amongst the dunes and 

 called continuously for food. If one bird rose to follow one 

 of the Pipits, the other also flew and alighted near it. Pre- 

 sumably, as only two birds were feeding them, they had been 

 reared in the same nest and neither had succeeded in dislodging 

 its companion. 



Though apparently about the same age, they were strikingly 

 distinct in plumage. Both had the usual pale edges to the 

 feathers and the white nape spot, but the ground-colour in 

 one was the normal rufous above and buff beneath, whereas 

 in the other it was grey above and almost white below. I 

 could not say if one Pipit confined its attention to one par- 

 ticular Cuckoo, for both Pipits were often absent seeking 

 food at the same time. I did, however, feel satisfied that 

 the two were fed by different methods. The foster-parent 

 approached the grey Cuckoo from in front and passed the 

 food into its wide-open mouth, but when a Pipit fed the red 

 bird it mounted upon its back, jumping on from behind, and 

 fed it from there. As a rule the Pipits, after delivering the 

 food, hopped or flew out of the way to avoid the vicious dig 

 which usually follows the receipt of a gift, but once a Pipit 

 transferred the food in three instalments, the Cuckoo keeping 

 its mouth open until the last had been received and then 

 pecked at the donor. T. A. Coward. 



