of the Norfolk and Suffolk Birds. 29 



1816, we observed a pair of Red-backed Shrikes very busy in 

 feeding a young Cuckoo which was perched on an oak. This 

 fact confirms Temminck's remark, who says that the Cuckoo will 

 sometimes lay its egg in the nest of the above-mentioned Shrike. 

 It also contradicts Montagu, who asserts that "the Yellow-ham- 

 mer's egg is larger than that of any other bird in whose nest the 

 Cuckoo chooses to lay :" for the egg of the Red-backed Shrike 

 is larger than that of the Yellow-hammer. We have heard the 

 note of the old Cuckoo as late as the last day in July. The note of 

 the female Cuckoo resembles that of the Common Gallinule. 

 A Cuckoo has been observed to enter the nest of a Magpie, pro- 

 bably for the purpose of devouring the eggs, which, according 

 to Temminck, constitute part of its food. 



Genus XXV. Picus. 



1. P. viridis (Green Woodpecker). 



2. P. major (Greater Spotted Woodpecker). 



An old male bird of this species was brought to us, which was 

 shot whilst flying about and making a most vociferous noise, as 

 a boy was robbing its nest from a hole in a tree. The young, 

 three in number, were completely fledged ; and what is singular, 

 one of them weighed more than the old bird. Their plumage 

 exactly corresponded with that attributed to the Ficus médius of 

 English authors. This instance, therefore, is a corroboration of 

 that mentioned by INIontagu in proof that these two birds are the 

 young and old of the same species. We have killed the young 

 of this species in the act of making a jarring noise, and are 

 unable to reconcile this fact with the assertion of Montagu, that 

 the jarring noise is the call of love. But every difiiculty upon 

 the subject vanishes if the statement of Wilson be correct, who 



asserts 



