
LONG NESTING-SEASON OF THE MARTIN. 
AxsovuT May 10th, 1917, the Martins (Delichon wu. urbica) began 
to build and reconstruct their old nests at Jesmond, Neweastle- 
on-Tyne, and on May 28th one nest contained three eggs. 
On October 14th I noticed a Martin apparently feeding young 
in one of these nests, and on the following morning I examined 
the nest with the help of a ladder, and found that it contained 
four young, which I had some difficulty in persuading to 
remain after my inspection. On October 19th I saw two 
young Martins on the roof of a house opposite, and both 
the old birds flying about. Isaac CLARK. 
[For other instances of October broods see O. V. Aplin, 
Birds of Oxfordshire, p. 110 ; Zool.; 1883, p. 124 (Kireudbright) : 
t.c., 1887, p. 194 (Yorks): ¢.c., 1908, p. 28 (Yorks) and Br. 
Birds, X, p. 186 (Kent), etc. In the Zool., 1907, p. 328, a 
case is recorded of young being apparently fed in the nest 
on November 19th (Oxon). F.C. BR. J 
CUCKOOS’ EGGS AND NESTLINGS IN 1917. 
ALTHOUGH Cuckoos (Cuculus c. canorus) were very numerous 
round Felsted in 1917, only fourteen nests were found which 
contained cuckoos’ eggs or nestlings. This is a far smaller 
number than usual. Probably it is partly due to the great 
decrease in the number of our resident birds, but in a greater 
measure to the fact that the intense heat rendered prolonged 
searching very exhausting. 
I had great hopes that, as birds were so scarce, some 
very unusual foster-parents would be found, but except that 
I found a Cuckoo’s egg in a Song-Thrush’s nest, I was 
disappointed. In this case unfortunately a storm of wind 
and rain tilted the nest very much, and the Thrush deserted 
it before beginning to sit. The same Cuckoo had victimized 
six Hedge-Sparrows within a radius of about a hundred yards 
of this nest. The first egg of this series was laid about May 
18th, and I found what was probably the last in the Thrush’s 
nest on June 29th. It was then quite fresh, but was deserted 
on June 30th... 
The first young Cuckoo I had under observation left the 
nest on June 15th, and the last on July 9th. I had no time to 
search for nests in July. Cuckoos ceased calling here after 
