OBSERVATIONS ON THE CUCKOO. 73 
nature, was not infallible ; and it would be easy to 
point out numerous errors into which he has fallen 
in his very ingenious and amusing work, especially in 
the section on instinct. I shall, however, in this 
instance, content myself with exhibiting the errone- 
ousness of his opinions respecting the Cuckoo, which 
will be best done by tracing the progress of an indi- 
vidual of that species from its extrusion from the egg 
till it arrives at maturity, or begins to propagate its 
kind ; since an examination of its various means of 
acquiring information on those subjects which are of 
the greatest importance for it to know, will furnish 
the surest criterion of what is due. to nature, and 
what to observation and tuition. Let us suppose, 
then, that a Cuckoo’s egg is hatched in the nest of a 
Titlark about the middle of June. No sooner is the 
young bird disengaged from the shell than a disposi- 
tion to eject whatever happens to be in the nest with 
it begins to manifest itself; and as young Cuckoos 
increase in size and strength very rapidly, it is soon 
enabled to turn out the nestling Larks, which are 
suffered to perish within a few inches of the nest, 
being entirely abandoned by their parents. Now, to 
what cause, I would ask, must we attribute this 
extraordinary propensity which shows itself so early ? 
As Titlarks do not possess it, and as old Cuckoos, 
after they have deposited their eggs in suitable nests, 
interest themselves no further about their progeny, it 
is evident that it cannot be acquired from them ; it 
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