118 BRITISH BIRDS. [vol. vni. 



CUCKOOS' EGGS AND NESTLINGS IN 1914. 



In previous years (c/. Vols. VI., pp. 330-3 and VII., pp. 233-4) 

 I have given details of the Cuckoos' eggs and nestlings 

 found by myself and other members of the Felsted School 

 Scientific Society. In 1914 thirty-four eggs and young 

 were found as follows : — 



One nest was deserted with the Cuckoo's egg alone in 

 it. Of the sixteen young that I saw in the nests six died 

 or were destroyed in the nestling stage. This is a much 

 smaller percentage than I have recorded in previous years. 

 Three nests (one Hedge-S parrow, two Pied Wagtails) each 

 had two Cuckoos' eggs. The Pied Wagtails' nests were both 

 in the same garden, and the first was taken by the boy that 

 found them. The second nest was left for observation, 

 but was unfortunately destroyed by rats when the young 

 were hatching. In all three cases the eggs were the produce 

 of different Cuckoos. 



The first eggs were found on May 17th in a Redbreast's 

 nest with four eggs and a Hedge-Sparrow's with three, and 

 were evidently laid early on that day, as the nests were 

 under observation. The last Cuckoo left a Hedge-Sparrow's 

 nest on August 8th. We last heard mating notes, double 

 notes, etc., on June 28th, and last heard the Cuckoo on 

 June 29th. This should mean, in my experience, that no 

 egg was deposited after June 30th at latest, and makes 

 our last Cuckoo a very interesting problem. Giving the 

 young one twenty-one days in the nest and thirteen days 

 to hatch (a good allowance), thirty-four days in all, incuba- 

 tion of the egg should not have started before July 5th. 

 The Cuckoo must therefore have deposited the egg a few 

 days after all calling had ceased, which is altogether contrary 

 to my previous experience. We had another young Cuckoo 

 quite close to the last- mentioned, which left the nest on 

 August 2nd. In this case incubation should have begun 

 on June 29th, and this egg was probably the last but one 

 from the same Cuckoo, J. H. Owen. 



