MISCKLLANKA. 213 



XII . — Miscellanea. 



Note on tlic habit of the young Cuckoo in ejecting the eggs and 

 young of its foster-parent from the nest. — Eor many years I have 

 been very desirous of observing the habit of the young Cuckoo 

 at the time when it was just hatched, and when it was busy in 

 ejecting the eggs and young of its foster-parent from the nest. 

 Duiing my stay at Oatlands in the summer of last year (1884) I 

 am glad to say that a favourable and satisfactory opportunity 

 occurred of making this observation. 



I began in June to search the grounds carefully for as many 

 nests as I could find, that were likely to have Cuckoos' eggs in 

 them, and was fortunate enough to find one in a spot convenient 

 for making continued observations, on the 17th day of June, 

 1884. The Cuckoo's egg was in the nest of a Hedge Accentor, 

 containing four of its own eggs, and built in a Bramble bush, 

 near the bottom of the sloping terrace at Oatlands. I tried the 

 Cuckoo's egg and one of the Hedge Accentor's in water, to as- 

 certain if they were fi'esh or sitting. The former floated, denoting 

 that it was sitting; the latter sinking to the bottom, was of 

 course fresh. 



On the 25th of June I examined the nest. J^o change had 

 taken place. There were still the one Cuckoo's egg in the nest 

 and the four Accentor's. 



On Friday, the 27th June, I looked at the nest at three o'clock 

 in the afternoon, and the Cuckoo's egg was hatched, and one of 

 the Accentors. At twenty-five minutes to six o'clock I looked 

 at the nest again, and another Accentor's egg was hatched. 



On Saturday morning, 28th June, I rose early, and went to 

 the nest at twenty minutes'to four o'clock a.m. All was quiet, 

 and the old bird on the nest. At two minutes past five o'clock 

 saw into the nest. There were just the young Cuckoo, the two 

 young Accentors, and the two eggs. A few minutes after five 

 o'clock the young Cuckoo attempted to put an egg out of the 

 nest, by getting it on to its back in the most clumsy manner; 

 but it did not succeed in getting the egg high enough to roll it 



