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THE CUCKOO. 



Cuculus canorus L. 



The Cuckoo was first heard in Devon on April the 1st, and 

 during the three following weeks a few stragglers were re- 

 corded from widely scattered localities in the southern counties. 

 On the 23rd, however, a great immigration took place in Essex, 

 and on the 27th an increase was noted along the south coast, 

 while several birds were seen in Yorkshire, and a single 

 individual was observed in Scotland. On the 28th the 

 species was noted at St. Catherine's light, and on the 29th 

 a large increase took place in all the southern counties, 

 but more especially in Devon, Somerset and Hampshire. 

 During the following days it evidently arrived in large 

 numbers, and by the 4th of May seems to have become 

 generally distributed throughout the country. After that 

 date there do not appear to have been any further arrivals. 



An egg was found in Hampshire on the 9th of May, and 

 young birds were recorded from Surrey, Lancashire and 

 Westmoreland on the 24th, 26th, and 27th respectively. 



It was by no means easy to ascertain by which route this 

 species arrived, as it seems to have been distributed along 

 the whole of the south coast, and its arrival in the east 

 and west was almost simultaneous. In the Introduction we 

 have placed the Cuckoo under Route C (easterly arrivals), 

 as such a course seems to have been indicated by the records 

 Eor 1908, and was undoubtedly followed in former years. 



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