400 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
such blue eggs. Mr. Cordeaux, in his “ Ornithological Notes from Lincoln- 
shire” (p. 1285), mentions an egg which was described to him as “ partly 
resembling that of the Hedgesparrow”; and I was able to adduce the 
testimony of a gentleman, who assured me he had seen such blue Cuckoo's 
eggs in the nest of the Hedgesparrow (p. 3516). Still there was wanting 
the positive testimony of some acknowledged authority as an ornithologist— 
of one who had personal ocular proof to adduce. My own bird-nesting 
days are long since over, but for seven long years I have been patiently 
waiting, trusting that eventually such convincing evidence would be forth- 
coming. This, IT maintain, we now have in the communication of Mr. 
Seebohm: nothing can be more satisfactory than the evidence he gives, 
and no one could desire a more unimpeachable witness; indeed I hail the 
testimony of the author of ‘“ Notes on the Birds of the Lower Petchora” 
(‘ Ibis,’ 1876), and ‘“ Contributions to the Ornithology of Siberia” (‘ Ibis,’ 
1878), as most satisfactory and conclusive, and leaving nothing on this 
point to be desired. Moreover, I hail, not only the evidence, but the 
opinion of Mr. Seebohm on the point, as exactly corroborative of the view 
I ventured to express in October, 1873 (pp. 3723-3727). Since that last 
communication of mine to ‘The Zoologist’ on the subject, the interval 
which has elapsed has only strengthened my then expressed view, which 
now almost amounts to a conviction, and which exactly coincides with that 
now put forth by Mr. Seebohm, who has so much greater pretensions to 
speak with authority than I have.—Atrrep Cuartes Swiru (Yatesbury 
Rectory, Calne). 
Buiure Eaes or tHE Cuckoo.—As there appears a note on this subject 
in the last number of ‘ The Zoologist,’ by Mr. Seebohm, may I be allowed 
to add that in my copy of ‘ Ornithologie Provengale,’ by Polydore Roux, 
there are two eggs of the grey or common Cuckoo figured, one of which is 
of the ordinary colour, and the other of an uniform light blue, similar 
to that of the Hedgesparrow and common Redstart.—JoHn GatcomBE 
(55, Durnford Street, Stonehouse, Plymouth). 
Nore on THE‘Cuckoo.—Last year a pair of Water Wagtails built in 
the trellis-work of my garden wall, about five feet from the ground, close 
to a door where people were constantly passing. A Cuckoo deposited its 
egg in the nest, which in due time was hatched and reared. We used to 
see the Cuckoo and Wagtails constantly; they were very amusing to 
watch. I noted that three weeks was the time that the young Cuckoo 
was fed by the Wagtails, as by the end of that time they had another 
brood of their own to attend to. I had noticed that only one Wagtail had 
been for some time in attendance. Curiously enough, this year precisely 
the same performance has been gone through. The Wagtails repaired 
oe ae Ma 
