Professor A. Newton's Dilemma. 229 



with regard to these two American cuckoos as 

 follows : 



" There are two species very well known in parts of 

 the United States and some of the West India islands 

 (Coccyzas Ainericanus and C. erythrophthalmus), and 

 each of them has occasionally visited Europe. They 

 both build nests — remarkably small structures when 

 compared with those of other birds of the same size " 

 (he should have added that they were most flimsy as 

 well as small) — " and faithfully incubate their delicate 

 sea-green eggs." .... Respecting these cuckoos of 

 America, the evidence is certainly enough (italics here 

 and just above are mine) " to clear them from the 

 calumny which attaches to so many of their brethren 

 of the Old World." 



The evidence is certainly nothing of the sort ; and 

 it was in existence partly (see Mr. Nuttall's recorded 

 observations) before Professor Newton ventured on 

 this very bold and unqualified statement in the Ency- 

 clopcBdia Britannica. But this might have been passed 

 over had Professor Newton not been of a mind to 

 persist too far in his old opinion at quite a late date, 

 after the evidence had become too strong not to be 

 recognised as evidence even by him. His article in 

 Dictionary of Birds, in 1893, tells that he had heard 

 of it ; but all he can afford to do there is to re-write 

 and very slightly alter the Encyclopcedia Britannica 

 article, ad loc. to the following effect : 



" Respecting the cuckoos of America, the evidence, 

 though it has been impugned, is nearly enough " 

 (nearly enough now, mark) " to clear them from the 

 calumny which attaches to so many of their brethren 

 of the Old World — they faithfully incubate their deli- 



