Vol. xliii.] 50 



case complete answers to, seven out of Mr. Baker's eight 

 questions, so, to begin with, I will touch upon the sixth 

 query : '* How do Cuckoos deposit their eggs in the nest ? " 



I have never suggested that our organised investigations 

 have proved where all Cuckoos lay their eggs and how all 

 Cuckoos deposit them, but we have proved to the satisfaction 

 of every one of those who last season watched our Cuckoos 

 lay, and to the great majority who have yet seen the Film, 

 that in each instance the Cuckoo sat upon the nest and laid 

 her egg directly in it. 



I really must here take exception to Mr. Baker's rather 

 imaginative description of what he tells us he has seen by 

 watching the Film. He refers to the bird obviously having 

 something in her gullet sufficient to distend it and make the 

 feathers all stick out. Mr. Baker argues that this in all 

 probability is her own egg, whereas, in point of fact, many 

 of my friends who are here to-night, and who have seen the 

 performance in real life, will explain that the Cuckoo ruffles 

 her feathers and distends her throat merely in self-defence 

 against the attacks of the foster-birds. 



Mr. Baker goes on to describe how, when the Cuckoo 

 comes out from the nest, with the foster-bird's egg visible in 

 her bill, her throat is relaxed and her feathers lie flat. The 

 Film is shortly going to be on circuit at the Picture Houses, 

 and I ask you then to notice carefully the rapidity with 

 which the Cuckoo, after laying, backs out from the nest and 

 flies away. The movements at that stage are far too rapid 

 to see whether her throat is relaxed or distended, or in what 

 state her feathers lie. In fact, the egg in the beak can only 

 be seen by stopping the film and examining sections of it 

 when stationary. 



To complete the picture Mr, Baker describes how the 

 Cuckoo gets into the nest as speedily as possible and at once 

 bends down her head under her body. In reality the film 

 shows nothing of the sort, but it does show the tail being 

 pressed tightly down over the edge of the nest, just at the 

 moment when she is laying, after she has been sitting on the 

 nest a few seconds and immediately before she begins 

 backing out. 



