VOL. XIV.] OBSERVATIONS ON A CUCKOO. 227 



eggs, it can be well understood that the closeness of the 

 search for the presumed missing egg was redoubled in intensity. 



i8th Egg. 

 June i8th. — The fifth nest of No. i pair was to-day 

 indicated for the reception of the Cuckoo's egg, but there 

 was a seemingly equal probability of her making use of a 

 nest of No. 6 pair. She began the afternoon by watching 

 the latter pair. After more systematic searching for the 

 supposed missing egg I went at 3 p.m. over to the nest of 

 No. I pair to see if there were any signs of the presence of 

 the Cuckoo near by. I did not see the Cuckoo, but flushed 

 the Pipit from her five eggs. After walking away for some 

 250 yards I looked back and saw the Cuckoo and the Pipit 

 circling round the site of the nest. Through the glasses I 

 saw her circle three times and then aUght. It being full 

 early I hardly expected her then to lay, and so watched 

 until 3.20. Seeing nothing of the Cuckoo, I thought I would 

 vary the proceedings by looking at the nest and to my 

 gratification flushed the Pipit from four of her own eggs 

 and the i8th of the Cuckoo. The time of deposition — 3.5 — 

 was the earliest by a few minutes hitherto noted. 



19TH Egg. 



June 2oth. — To-day I fully expected the Cuckoo to place 

 her egg in the fourth nest of No. 6 pair, which held a clutch 

 of five completed this morning, and was the only Meadow- 

 Pipit's nest known to be available. It was a miserable day 

 of pouring rain. At 11.30 the Cuckoo settled in an oak tree 

 and was thought to be merely watching No. 8 pair, which 

 I had noticed with building material yesterday. But it 

 subsequently appeared that she was in reality preparing to 

 lay and deposit her egg in that nest. Very unfortunately, 

 I did not look for the nest this morning, not expecting it to 

 be ready, else I should have seen that it already held one 

 egg and consequently should have been more on the qui vive. 

 At I p.m. we heard the familiar bubbling call of the Cuckoo 

 and watched her to a tall pear tree. Before 1.40 I noticed 

 that the male Pipit of No. 6 pair, which seemed to expect 

 her visit as much as I did, flew to the Cuckoo in the tree and 

 back to the neighbourhood of the nest no less than twelve 

 times in forty minutes. The whole attitude of this particular 

 pair throughout the season appeared to be as though they 

 regarded the Cuckoo's attentions in the fight, so to say, of a 

 royal favour. 



Twice was the Cuckoo disturbed before 3.45 at which time 



