416 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
showed that its tail-feathers were much nearer their full growth than those 
of the other bird. I also saw it drive the latter off on one occasion, when it 
ventured to perch too near. Since I left my friend’s house, I have heard 
that the larger Cuckoo disappeared some days before the smaller, and 
apparently vounger, bird. My own impression is that some accident must 
have befallen the foster-parents of one of the Cuckoos, probably of the older 
one; or that they had left it, considering it able to feed itself (as from my 
observation it evidently was), and that then it had managed to induce the 
Wagtails to take it under their care in addition to their proper charge. 
This imagine would not be difficult, as of course Wagtails are accustomed 
to rear several young, when they have the luck to escape the visitation of 
the parasite. It was curious to see the readiness with which the Wagtail 
would return (generally from the top of the house), and recommence 
feeding the Cuckoos, if, when they were dozing in the hot sun, we disturbed 
them, and caused them to begin their cry again. Also, to see how 
impatiently the older Cuckoo would peck at the Wagtail, and drive it off to 
forage if she ventured to sit too long by its side, after delivering her bunch 
of flies into its voracious gape.—W. H. Sr. Quinrin (Scampston, York). 
Swallows nesting upon a Hanging Lamp.—A remarkable instance of 
animal intelligence has lately come under my notice. In a neighbour's 
bungalow in this district two of our Common House Swallows (Hirundo 
javanica) built their nest, selecting as their site for the purpose the top of 
a hanging lamp that hangs in the dining-room. As the lamp is either 
raised or depressed by chains fixed to a central counter-weight, these 
chains pass over pulleys fixed to a metal disk above, on which the nest was 
placed. The Swallows evidently saw that if the pulleys were covered with 
mud, moving the lamp either up or down would destroy the nest; so 
to avoid this natural result they built over each pulley a little dome, 
allowing sufficient space, both for wheel and chain, to pass in the hollow so 
constructed without dauger to the nest, which was not only fully constructed, 
but the young birds were reared without further danger. This is, in my 
opinion, a wonderful example of adaptation to environment, and showing a 
step far beyond what may be contended as instinct only —FRrepxErRicK 
Lewis (Ballangoda, Ceylon). 
Wigeon nesting in Yorkshire.—It may interest your readers to know 
that some pinioned Wigeon of mine have nested this year. The nests, of 
which I found four, each contained seven eggs, and were made in thick 
brambles, about twenty yards from the water's edge. I have been unlucky 
in rearing the young, owing to the cold spring—RatpH P. GaLLwey 
(Thirkleby Park, Thirsk). 
[Wigeon do not breed very freely in confinement. Mr. Seebohm. 
states, in his ‘ British Birds,’ that this species “has bred in a state 
