18 ME LLC E — botes on Hatching of Cuckoo and Wren. 



Notes on Hatching of Cuckoo and Wren. 

 By J. W. Mellor. 



During last year some interesting evidence came under 

 notice relative to the nidification of the Narrow-billed Bronze 

 Cuckoo (chrysoccyx basalts mellori) an egg of which was dis- 

 covered in a nest of the Southern Blue Wren (Malurus cyaneus 

 leggei) at Fulham, S.A., on August 30, there being three eggs 

 of the latter bird also in the nest. The eggs were left undis- 

 turbed to find out the rotation of hatching, which started next 

 morning, August 31, by the appearance of the young cuckoo, 

 its size being surprisingly large compared with the egg from 

 which it had just emerged, which was exactly the size of 

 those of , the wren, and hardly any difference in colouration. The 

 young cuckoo measured in inches in its somewhat crunched 

 up position 1.14 inches from bill to tail, by .54 across the 

 body, the wings being still folded up, and showing an ab- 

 normal spike at the spurious wing, while the claws were 

 curved and exceedingly sharp, resembling those of a young 

 hawk. The cuckoo was removed and preserved, and a close 

 watch kept for the apearance of the young wrens, the first of 

 which did not come out until early on the morning of Sep- 

 tember 2, followed quickly by a second chick the same morn- 

 ing, the third egg being chipped and hatched out during the 

 afternoon of the same day, but the young wrens were but half 

 the size of the cuckoo when born. Thus it can easily be seen 

 how the young cuckoo "rules the roost," being at least two 

 days in advance of the first wren hatched out, and at birth as- 

 suming double proportions to the young of its foster parents, 

 the young wrens are soon edged out, or trampled to death as 

 the vigorous young cuckoo clamours for food, which the com- 

 paratively small foster parents are barely able to supply to 

 the extent of its needs. On Setember 13 the three young 

 wrens left the nest, and perched on the twigs near by, while the 

 parent birds fed them. It is exceedingly strange why Nature 

 should have ordained things, so that the young of the useful 

 little blue wren, and kindred birds Should be destroyed by the 

 small cuckoos, but it is evident from observations that such is 

 the case, the cuckoos being given abnormal opportunities to 

 predominate and overcome. 



