OCCASIONAL NOTES. 497 
of months in search of those rare and interesting fossils of the Skiddaw 
Slate, the son of the person with whom I was staying informed me that two 
days previously he had discovered a Cuckoo, just hatched, in a Meadow 
Pipit’s nest along with three young pipits. As I was very desirous to 
procure a Cuckoo, in order to observe its habits, I had it taken from the 
nest, when about eight days old, and placed in a large cage, where I also 
put a nest of Blackbirds of the same age. The latter in a few days got 
too quickly advanced, in proportion to the Cuckoo, for my purpose, and 
I therefore replaced them with a brood of Thrushes about a week younger. 
These in a day or two I reduced to two in number, finding that the parent, 
as I wished, had discovered them. I then left but one, and about ten days 
later T was surprised at seeing it pick up a piece of hard-boiled egg and feed 
the Cuckoo with it as it sat upon a perch, on which it had to hop for the 
purpose. The feeding was observed by others besides myself and continued 
for some days until the Thrush unfortunately escaped, and about a week 
afterwards the Cuckoo died. Was this action on the part of the young 
Thrush prompted by natural instinct, or was it mere imitation of its 
parent? Iam inclined to believe the latter—W. Kinsey Dover (Castle 
Connor, Ballina, Co. Mayo). 
Scarciry or THE Corn Craxe.—lIt may interest the Rev. Murray A. 
Mathew to hear that I found the Corn Crake very plentiful in the island of 
Tiree, on the west coast of Scotland, while on a short visit there in May 
last. Their ‘crake, crake” was to be heard in every direction on this 
island, fourteen miles by three in extent. The keeper told me they had 
been very numerous last year. I also heard them several times in the 
neighbourhood of Greenock at the end of the month. My brother, while 
shooting near Penrith, Cumberland, came across a good many. Perhaps 
the bird is changing its habitat and gradually moving northward. It would 
be interesting to hear whether this has been noticed by others in the 
“North Countrie.” I can quite corroborate Mr. H. T. Wharton as to 
the disappearance of the bird from the north-west district of Middlesex. 
It used to be very common in the grass-fields about Hampstead and 
Hendon, but the last time I heard it was on the 19th April, 1875.— 
Harry R. Leacs (Oak Hill Park, Hampstead). 
BarLion’s CRAKE NEAR Penzance.—On the 12th October Mr. Vingoe 
showed me a bird of the year of this species, which was shot on some 
marshy ground near the Marazion Station of the West Cornwall Railway, 
very near the spot where some years since the Yellowshank Sandpiper was 
shot. This is the third example of this small Gallinule that has been 
obtained in this neighbourhood. I may add it was shot by the eldest son 
of the Rey. D. Harrison, the Rector of the parish adjoining. In the two 
first specimens the adult character of the birds is shown by the pervading 
tint of ash-blue on the chin, breast and belly. In the present specimen 
38 
