The Zoologist — October, 1873. 3727 



the contrary, by any decided opinion upon it he expressed. But 

 when, in answer to my enquiries, he most kindly replied " that he 

 had no suflBcient information on the point, such as would warrant 

 him to pronounce any dogmatic judgment on it," I thought it not 

 altogether worthless ; and hence I submit it to the readers of the 

 ' Zoologist.' I should, however, in candour own that the naturalist 

 to whom I wrote, but whose name I have no authority for men- 

 tioning, added, " My impression is that differences of food would 

 not produce the effects which you suppose possible; and that im- 

 pression is derived chiefly from there being hardly any evidence of 

 variations being due to slight differences in the nature of the food." 

 My correspondent then proceeds to give me several interesting 

 examples of change of colour in plumage, and especially calls my 

 attention to the paper (in Proc. Zool. Soc.) on the Australian 

 cuckoos by Mr. Ramsay, where that gentleman " states that two of 

 the species when they lay their eggs in an open nest, manifest a 

 decided preference for nests containing eggs similar to their own 

 in colour." 



This is all I have to say about the eggs of the cuckoo. It is 

 true that we have arrived at no absolute conclusion : we have yet 

 much to learn about that mysterious bird. Still I submit that the 

 discussion which has taken place in the pages of the ' Zoologist' 

 has not been without its value, nor without its interest ; and I for 

 one shall be exceedingly pleased if the subject is renewed next 



year. 



Alfred Charles Smith. 



Yatesburj' Eectory, Calne, 

 September 6, 1873. 



Report of the ' Close Time ' Committee of the British Association 

 for the Advancement of Science (Section D). 



Beadfokd, 1873. 



The Committee re-appointed at Brighton, for the purpose of con- 

 tinuing the investigation on the desirability of estabUshing a " Close- 

 Time " for the preservation of indigenous animals, beg leave to report 

 as follows : — 



1. The apprehension expressed by your Committee in their last 

 Eeport, as to the ]3robable effects of the Wild Birds Protection Act, 

 has been more than justified by events, for, so soon as that Act came 

 to be aj)plied, it gave almost universal discontent, and yom- Com- 

 mittee haye not found one person who is satisfied with it. 



