322 GEOLOGICAL' SURVEY OF CANADA. 



bird and its eggs. The cuckoo seems to prefer solitude, and keeps 

 itself out of sight in thickets, where its harsh notes can be heard 

 sounding like "cow-cow" or "cuckucow" repeated quickly several! 

 times. (Wintle.) 



A very common species in all the counties of eastern Ontario, 

 especially at the foot of Lake Ontario, where early in June I have 

 seen six or seven together. In 1897 I heard it at Pictou, N.S., and 

 it was observed on the Magdalen islands in June, 1900. It usually 

 builds a nest in a swampy thicket; twice I have found the nest 

 almost on the ground, once in an elm sapling six feet above, but 

 this is very unusual. The average time for laying is the end of the 

 first week in June in eastern Ontario. Usually I have found two 

 or three eggs in a nest, but once five, and June 13th, 1900, seven. 

 This bird appears to arrive later in spring than the yellow-billed 

 and certainly goes away earher in the fall. (Rev. C. J. Young.} 

 A summer resident around Toronto, Ont. I have several times 

 seen its nest. I have also found it breeding in Manitoba and in 

 Saskatchewan as far west as the Qu'Appelle valley. (W. Raine.) 

 This bird nests in a low bush at Ottawa, Ont. Nest composed of 

 twigs, strips of bark, dry grass and leaves, lined with grass. Eggs 

 two to five of a light greenish blue. (G. R. White.) Nests are found 

 at Ottawa and at Lake Nomining^e 100 miles north of it. They are 

 made of branches and lined with dry leaves and catkihs. The 

 inside diameter |jas 2.50 inches by not more than one inch in depth,, 

 while the outside diameter has between 3 and 10 inches, according 

 to the quantity of branches required for their solidity. They are 

 built in coniferous trees and in all kinds of shrubs and placed at an 

 elevation varying between 3 and 10 feet. The birds breed in June 

 and July. I have found nests containing from two to five eggs, 

 and others with one young bird, one hatched egg and one fresh egg, 

 {A. L. Garneau.) Usually lays three eggs but' I have found nests 

 with eight in them and I am inclined to think that occasionally 

 more than one bird lays in the same nest. Two or three broods are 

 raised in a season. (Criddle.) 



In the transactions of the Canadian Institute, Vol. I. pp. 48-50, 

 an interesting account by Dr. C. K. Clarke of this cuckoo laying 

 its eggs in the nests of other birds is published. Three cases are 

 noted, and there is no doubt in the mind of the writer that the 

 facts are as recorded by Dr. Clarke. All the cases were noted at 



