NOTES AND QUERIES. 415 
picked up at different times near here.” Rev. R. Hunt, of 
Carlby Rectory, Rutlandshire, writes, ‘‘ Two were picked up after 
a storm, in 1885, in Essondine parish.” 
(To be continued.) 
NOTES AND QUERIES. 
BIRDS. 
Two Cuckoos fed by one pair of Wagtails.—As bearing on the 
subject of Mr. Kelly’s letter in ‘The Zoologist’ (p. 368), I think the 
following incident may be considered worth recording :—While on a visit 
to a friend in Derbyshire, on the 8th August, I saw two young Cuckoos 
being fed by one pair of Pied Wagtails. ‘The Cuckoos were perched upon 
an iron fence which enclosed the lawn, and were usually about thirty or 
forty yards apart. When my attention was first drawn to the spot by the 
eries of the nestling Cuckoos, it was about 9.30 a.m., and at that time a 
single Wagtail only was to be seen. At 10.30, with a strong glass, I made 
out that the male Wagtail alone was feeding the Cuckoos. At 12.30, and 
at different times throughout the rest of the day, the female Wagtail alone 
was seen to feed both the Cuckoos, her mate not being in sight at all. 
The place was quite open, and the Wagtail was always able to find sufficient 
flies within a very few yards of where the Cuckoos sat, either on the close 
shorn turf of the lawn, or in the longer grass on the outer side of the fence. 
The group was watched’ by many of us at the same time, the three birds 
being all together in our sight; and it was perfectly evident that while we 
watched them, during most of the afternoon, only one of the Wagtails (the 
female) was present. It was also evident that the Wagtail proceeded with 
her task with a certain method. After feeding the Cuckoo until it seemed 
satisfied, which usually occupied about twenty minutes, she would, on 
leaving it, fly direct to the grass beneath the perch of the other bird before 
she began to search for flies. Our first conclusion was that here was a case 
of two Cuckoos which had been reared together, in spite of the inconvenience 
with which the two birds would have found space within a nest built to 
suit the requirements of the smaller bird, and in spite of the instinct which 
would have impelled each to oust the other from the quarters in which they 
were both intruders. But, on closer examination, I felt sure that this was 
not so. ‘The Cuckoos were evidently of different ages. One was consider- 
ably wilder than the other, and would not allow of such near approach. 
This bird evidently was able to feed itself, for I saw it three times 
drop into the grass from the railing and return to its perch; once with a 
crane-fly in its beak, which, however, it let fall again. The glass also 
