OCCASIONAL NOTES. 841 
egg in a Blackbird’s nest (see Yarrell’s ‘ British Birds’), I think it is of 
sufficiently rare occurrence to be recorded. The notice of a Cuckoo's egg 
in a Swallow’s nest in ‘ The Zoologist’ for June (p. 260) is very interesting, 
and although it is the first time the egg has been found in the nest of this 
species, yet as in ‘The Zoologist’ for 1869 (p. 1866) a description was 
given of a young Cuckoo falling out of a Swallow’s nest, it is to be presumed 
that the egg must have been previously laid there. If any of your readers 
know of an instance of a Cuckoo’s egg being found in the nest of the 
Twite, Goldfinch, or Lesser Redpoll, I shall esteem it a favour if he 
will send me the particulars—Hpwarp Brpwett (7, Ormond Terrace, 
Richmond). 
[In the account referred to (‘ Zoologist,’ 1869, p. 1866), no evidence is 
adduced to prove that the young Cuckoo was ever in the Swallow's nest. 
The statement to that effect is purely inferential. It is just as probable 
that the bird may have been hatched in the neighbouring nest of a Water 
Wagtail, and on perching on a chimney top in one of its early flights may 
have overbalanced itself and tumbled down.—Eb. | 
Cucxoo rvictine Youne Hepersparrows.—A Hedgesparrow hatched 
in May four young ones in a thick bush of Arbor Vite by my drawing-room 
window. One afterndon I saw a Cuckoo fly down right into the middle of 
the bush, and a great scuffle ensued. I ran up and found the nest empty, 
and all four young birds on the ground. I replaced them in the nest, and 
thought I had frightened away my Hedgesparrows’ enemy for good. How- 
ever, three days after I looked at my nest on returning from London, and 
found the four young birds on the ground. They were stiff, and I thought 
dying, but I replaced them as before. Under their mother’s warm feathers 
three of them recovered; one died. A day or two after I found on my 
return from London all the birds again on the ground quite dead. They 
had evidently been out of their nest some hours. I have not a doubt that 
on each of the last two occasions the Cuckoo was the culprit, but she (if it 
was a she) never laid an egg, and the only just verdict I can think of is 
“ malice prepense.”"—J. H. Buxron (Nunsbury, Hoddesdon). 
Tur CottareD Duck, Fuligula collaris (Donovan).—When at Liverpool, 
in April, 1876, I was informed by Mr. T. J. Moore that he had recently 
met with three ducks of the above species in St. John’s Market. This 
is a capital market for rarities. Ou a former visit I found a Nyroea, or 
White-eyed Pochard, there among a row of Tufted Ducks. In the present 
case there was no doubt of the Collared Ducks having been imported 
from America; but the species was met with in Leadenhall Market, 
London, so long ago as January, 1801, by Donovan (who seems to have 
been the first describer of it), and why it was excluded from the British list 
by Yarrell I do not know. The American Wigeon, which was also obtained 
in Leadenhall Market, was admitted on the ground that it was found here 
