NOTES AND QUERIES. 223 



think it was only a Yellowhammer, but presently getting a better view, I 

 was surprised to see that it was a Cirl Bunting, as I understand that this 

 species is very rare in this part of the country. I may add, however, that 

 I was informed that another example of this species had been seen only 

 about two miles from the spot where I met with the Cirl Bunting. This 

 other example was seen in a little-frequented part of the district in the 

 summer of 1897 or 1898, my informant distinctly recognizing the species; 

 in fact, I closely cross-examined him on the differences between the Cirl 

 Bunting and the common Yellowhammer, but he remained confident that 

 he had correctly diagnosed the species. In the meadows alluded to above 

 the following Buntings occur regularly : Emberiza citrinella, E. schceniclus, 

 and the local E. miliaris. — Graham Renshaw (Sale Bridge House, Sale, 

 Manchester). 



Cuckoos' Eggs in Nest of Red-backed Shrike. — Jn Dr. Rey's inter- 

 esting article on Cuckoos' eggs [ante, pp. 176-8) there is one observation 

 which shows how different the habits of the same species may be in 

 different countries. I refer to the statement that in the neighbourhood of 

 Leipzig 81 per cent, of the Cuckoo's eggs are found in the nests of the 

 Red-backed Shrike, which in England seems to be one of the most 

 uncommon foster-parents. During the last four years I have certainly 

 seen in situ over thirty nests of the Red-hacked Shrike, and have had the 

 opportunity of examining the unblown eggs of perhaps twelve or fifteen 

 more, not one of which contained a Cuckoo's egg or a young Cuckoo, 

 though Cuckoos and Shrikes abound in the same meadows. A Cuckoo's 

 egg was found here in 1894 in a Shrikes nest, but there was no other egg, 

 and the nest was apparently a deserted one. A friend who knows the 

 Shrike well, and has found many nests, is of opinion that a pair of Red- 

 backed Shrikes would give a prowling Cuckoo they found in the near neigh- 

 bourhood of their nest a warm reception, in which I quite agree with him. 

 — Julian G. Tuck (Tostock Rectory, Bury St. Edmunds). 



Variation in Cuckoos' Eggs. — After reading Dr. E. Rey's views as 

 to the reason of the great variation in Cuckoos' eggs (ante, pp. 176-8), it 

 struck me that his theory, that the variation is caused by the different 

 diet supplied to the nestling Cuckoos by their foster-parents, may not 

 generally be accepted by ornithologists as a satisfactory explanation. In 

 the first place, it may be questioned whether there is any material differ- 

 ence in the diet provided by the various species of foster-parents, for 

 even hard-billed birds, e.g. Buntings and Finches, feed their young 

 largely on an insectivorous diet. The young Cuckoo would in almost 

 every case be reared mainly on an insectivorous diet by its foster-parents, 

 and when once it was launched out into the world, and dependent on 



