on the Cuckoo. 361


of the egg I am inclined to believe from the following instance.

Every year a Hawfinch's nest is to be found on a particular fork

of an apple tree near here, and the eggs, always three in number,

are of a peculiar heavily-streaked type. As the species is rather

too abundant from the owner's point of view the female is shot

off the nest as soon as she begins to sit. Still the remaining

male finds a fresh mate, and the same place is chosen, the same

compliment of eggs laid, and they are always of the same type

in the following season. This has been repeated this last six

years, and the Hawfinch is a good test because the eggs of

different pairs are usually varied. Is it not possible that this

influence of the male may have something to do with the

variation of the eggs of the Cuckoo ? The female most likely

has four or five different husbands in a season, and it is possible

that a male reared from a Wagtail's nest and the similar type of

egg would be chosen when the hen has a Wagtail's nest ready for

consideration. The same applies to other common foster parents.

This suggestion I know gives the female extraordinary powers of

discrimination, but it is the only one that will account for the

fact that one can obtain five or six different types of cuckoo's

eggs in districts where, at most, only two females frequent the

place as far as one can observe."


The Charterhouse Museum at Godalming possesses a

splendid collection of Cuckoos' eggs, and amongst the fosterers

they do not resemble are : Willow Wren, Wren, Spotted Fly-

catcher, Yellow Bunting, three clutches of Chaffinches, Green-

finch and Tree Pipit. I also find among the same collection

another blue egg, but there is no name to the fosterer, and, as far

as I could judge, these were probably Redstarts. These were

taken in Finland.


The food of the Cuckoo is chiefly composed of caterpillars,

especially those known under the general name of " woolly bear,"

and Dresser says it will also eat snails and seeds. The flight is

extremely swift, and before alighting a peculiar loud swishing

sound is produced by the wings. Cuckoos as a rule generally

haunt a particular area, and I have known a male frequent a

small space for three seasons. Of course this may not have been

the same bird, but the fact remains that a Cuckoo was alwaysTo^



