Parasite Habits of the Nightjar. 397 
letter. Slapton Sands, by which the Lea and sea are divided, 
afford but few specimens of shells, and those of the most com- 
mon occurrence. Many species of the genus Tringa breed 
here. Start Bay supplies the neighbourhood with abundance 
and variety of excellent fish. Of these I purpose giving you 
as good an account as I can; but I must confess that I am 
not at present very conversant with the science of ichthyology. 
In botany [hope to be able to supply you with a list of plante 
rariores; but my residence here having been of short du- 
ration, I cannot speak with absolute certainty upon that sub- 
ject. ilices abound, and I see the leaves of the Sibthérpéa 
europe‘a in some moist rocky spots in the village. In the 
meadows in the autumn I gathered Bartsza viscdsa. 
I will now close my present letter, with the assurance of my 
desire to assist your undertaking in every way that lies in my 
power; and if you think that my present letter is worthy of 
insertion in your most useful Magazine, I shall be proud to 
communicate to its pages any thing relative to the delightful 
science of natural history that may present itself to my notice. 
I send you herewith a map of Slapton Lea (fg. 104), 
of which you can make what use you please. 
I am, Sir, &c. 
Slapton, Devon, April 23. ELeVeb: 
Art. II. Supposed Parasite Habits of the Nightjar (Caprimilgus 
europe us), and Nests of the Cuckoo. By J. Renniz, Esq. 
Tue statement of your correspondent, Mr. Masters, of the 
Canterbury Museum (Vol. III. p. 192.), with respect to the 
night-jar depositing an egg, like the cuckoo, in the nest of the 
hedge-sparrow, appeared to me so very anomalous and unac- 
countable, that, on looking into it a little closely, and turning 
the subject in my mind, I was led to a rather different conclu- 
sion ; which he may, perhaps, be able to rectify if I have fallen 
into error. ‘The parasite habit in question has been ascertained 
to belong exclusively to a singular American bird, the cow 
bunting (Passerina pécoris Vieillot, Emberiza pécoris Wilson*), 
and to the genuine cuckoos, —the observations of the accu- 
rate Vaillant, on several species of Southern Africa, proving 
that it is not confined to our common cuckoo (Cuculus cano- 
rus). Vaillant further ascertained that the cuckoo does not 
sit on the nest in which she lays her egg, but lays it on the 
* Oiseaux d’ Afrique, vol. v. See Didric, &c. 
DD 3 
