Birds. 8823 



are subjoined to promote discussion. Early in June, visiting the Formby shore, with 

 a view of inspecting the breeding-places of some of our water-fowl, I unexpectedly 

 chanced upon a titlark's nest containing three eggs, only one of which belonged to 

 the builders of the little domicile ; the others were intrusions, and certainly eggs of 

 the cuckoo, although one is rounder and of a much lighter ground colour than usual, 

 its fellow being of average size, shape and colour. "Revisiting the neighbourhood a 

 fortnight later, above a mile from any house, and about that distance from the site of 

 the first, I found a second nest of the same bird, containing, as before, a pair of 

 cuckoo's eggs, the legitimate occupants in this case numbering three. Again did the 

 same features present themselves, one proving of a much lighter colour than the other. 

 Inquiry among the young rustics substantiated the fact of duplicate cuckoo's eggs in 

 one nest being no unfrequent occurrence, and one youth assured me of his having once 

 found three cuckoo's eggs in one nest. I may here remark that, although in York- 

 shire and more southerly counties the nest of the hedgesparrow, white wagtail, sky- 

 lark, &c, is occasionally used, I never knew of any other than the titlark's in this 

 district. In few localities probably does the meadow pipit abound more than in this, 

 and throughout the island its nest is the one universally haunted by the cuckoo. 

 Eggs of an unusually light ground colour, or with less spots or blotches of colour (as 

 occurs with hawks, blackbirds, missel thrushes, &c), I have generally regarded as 

 those of young birds, often as the first laid ; and this belief obtains among all country 

 people, doubtlessly grounded on fact. Upon this assumption the two eggs in each of 

 the above cases may be apportioned to one bird, a young one. In reference to the 

 voracity of the fledglings, is it not more likely that a young, inexperienced cuckoo 

 would lay two eggs in a nest than an older bird ? Assuredly there 'was no lack of tit- 

 lark's nests in the place ; and, regarded in every light, it seems to me in the highest 

 degree improbable that in so open a situation different cuckoos would deposit an egg 

 in the same nest. Have any of your readers met with duplicate eggs of the cutkoo 

 in one nest ? Have the eggs of this bird been found in this district in any other nests 

 than those of the titlark (Anthus pratensis) ? How many eggs will an old cuckoo lay 

 in a« season ? — H. Ecroyd Smith ; Aldbrd House, Egremont. — ' Naturalists -S crap- 

 Book; p. 107. 



Occurrence of the Grass Parrakeet (Melopsittacus undulatus) at Westerdale, in 

 Cleveland. — Receiving information, a week since, of the circumstance that two birds 

 of a most unusual description had been shot at Westerdale in the course of the past 

 summer, I took an early opportunity of going over to see them. They proved to be a 

 male and female of the species named above, and m remarkably fine and perfect 

 plumage. It appeared that they had been observed some days before they were shot, 

 and as far as I could collect they must have been living at least twelve or fifteen days 

 in a state of nature about the village of Westerdale, besides the indefinite time they 

 must have spent in winging their way thither from the place at which they had made 

 their escape from confinement. The man who shot them told me they " wrought 

 despertly about the roads, making maest o' their living about them," that their flight 

 reminded him of that of the wagtail, and their note of the chirpings of the sparrow. 

 The same remote village, situated in the very midst of the moorlands rolling and 

 spreading for miles in every direction, has seen the arrival, during the early autumn, 

 of a carrier-pigeon, with, I believe, a Dutch legend upon its wing-feathers. Though 

 I have made the inquiry, I cannot hear of any aviary, within a circuit of from fifteen 

 to twenty miles, from which the parrakeets could have escaped ; and the perfect state 



