240 • OUR SUMMER MIGRANTS. 



that its struggles took it down the bank instead 

 of back into the nest. 



" After this the Cuckoo stood a minute or 

 two, feehng back with its wings, as if to make 

 sure that the Pipit was fairly overboard, and 

 then subsided into the bottom of the nest. 



" As it was getting late, and the Cuckoo did 

 not immediately set to work on the other nest- 

 ling, I replaced the ejected one and went home. 

 On returning next day both nestlings were 

 found dead and qold, out of the nest. I re- 

 placed one of them, but the Cuckoo made no 

 effort to get under and eject it, but settled 

 itself contentedly on the top of it. All this I 

 find accords accurately with Jenner's descrip- 

 tion of what he saw. But what struck me most 

 was this : The Cuckoo was perfectly naked, 

 without a vestige of a feather, or even a hint of 

 future feathers ; its eyes were not yet opened, 

 and its neck seemed too weak to support the 

 weight of its head. The Pipits had well- 

 developed quills on the wings and back, and 

 had bright eyes, partially open ; yet they 

 seemed quite helpless under the manipulations 



