Vol. xliii.] 60 



of the fosterers and had the typical zygodactyle foot ; the 

 embryo of the Cuckoo was much more developed than those 

 of the Hedge-Sparrow. 



In 1914 a similar Cuckoo's egg was found in a Hedge- 

 Sparrow's nest in the same locality, and possibly by the 

 same bird, and pronounced by an expert (?) to be a double- 

 yolked Hedge- Sparrow's. 



A similar clutch from Saxony is figured in ' Oologia 

 Universalis Palsearctica ' (George Krause). 



Mr. Stuart Bakbr made the following remarks : — 

 In replying to Mr. Chance's very interesting remarks 

 upon my paper and on his own Cuckoo series, I should, 

 I think, commence by saying that Mr. Chance has convinced 

 me that in the case of his pet Cuckoo, as well as the others 

 to which he refers as laying in Pipits' nests, the birds 

 actually did lay the eggs in the nest itself and did not 

 carry them in their throats. I would like, however, to 

 point out that my remarks as to the condition of the 

 Cuckoo's throat are not in any way imaginative. If any 

 of you refer to the photographs which Mr. Chance has 

 brought to-night, you will see for yourselves that the 

 Cuckoo before entering the nest does have its throat 

 distended, whereas the birds leaving the nests have it 

 relaxed with the feathers lying flat. True, you will not 

 see this on the actual film, because the movements are 

 too rapid, but in the stationary pictures it is quite evident. 

 In referring to these photographs, I have merely done 

 what Mr. Chance himself has done — used the stationary 

 photographs, which in some cases I believe form part of 

 the actual film, in support of my own impressions, and 

 also to show that Mr. Chance is not quite fair in accusing 

 me of " distorting the facts ... to build up a fantastic and 

 altogether fallacious theory based upon no definite evidence 

 whatsoever." 



Now the theory to which Mr. Chance refers is, I 

 presume, my statement that in the vast majority of cases 

 the Cuckoo does place its egg in the nest by means of 

 its bill. Why Mr. Chance should assert that this is 



