NOTES AND QUEBIES. 481 



male allowed me to remove him from the nest without protest whilst 

 I satisfied myself of the two being there. In the majority of instances the 

 female alone remains with young. When putting one's hand into the nest 

 for investigation (which is always necessary owing to the total absence of 

 light whence these observations are taken) the young open their mouths to 

 be fed sufficiently wide to enable me to put my finger fully into their 

 throats. 15th. Young are becoming very pugnacious, flapping at and 

 pecking one's hand. 



August 4th, 7 a.m. — Very windy. Both old and two young in nest. 

 10th. Young still in nest. 11th. The young left the nest previous to mid- 

 day, and evidently remained on the wing throughout the remaining portion 

 of the day. Time of young remaining within the nest: six weeks, six days. 

 12th. One Swift only at roost in nest. 19th. Swifts noticed in this locality 

 for the last time, seemingly in their usual number. 23rd. One Swift seen 

 in adjoining parish. 24th. Three together in another district two miles 

 distant. — J. Steele-Elliott (Clent, Worcestershire). 



Cuckoo breeding in London District. — In connection with the note 

 on this subject {ante, pp. 438-9), it may be of interest to record that on 

 June 6th, 1896, I found a Whitethroat's nest containing four eggs, one of 

 which was a Cuckoo's. This was in a hedge within a few yards of a public 

 footpath, and close to Hampstead Heath. On May 23rd in the following 

 year (1897), I found a Hedge-Sparrow's nest in the same locality with one 

 egg of that bird and a Cuckoo's. The latter was not blue, and not unlike 

 eggs of the Sedge-Warbler in colour. Both these Cuckoos' eggs were quite 

 unlike each other. I believe that in the collection of Cuckoos' eggs, with 

 the nests and eggs of the foster-parents, in the British Museum, those that 

 are laid in Hedge-Sparrows' nests are not blue. In each of the above 

 records the foster-parent was observed on the nest. — Basil W. Martin 

 (Elm Lodge, Hampstead). 



Observations on the Cuckoo in Aberdeen. — There was a continuation 

 of tha singing of this bird (Cuculus canorus) up to July 15th. As near as 

 could be estimated there were about ten young ones seen about my farm ; 

 certainly an increase as regards former years. They exhibited a variety of 

 colours, from blue to rufous. A young one, which was rufous, with a large 

 white spot on the crown of the head, was handled on June 17th. This one 

 had either removed from the nest to be sheltered from the rain, or had 

 flown from the nest in sunshine, and then had become unable to fly through 

 the heavy rains accompanying a thunderstorm on the date mentioned. Its 

 feathers seemed quite sufficiently grown for flying, but these birds are 

 evidently much influenced by wet, especially if the weather becomes cold at 

 the same time. I noticed, during cold days on and about Aug. 4th, that 

 some young ones chirped on continually ; in fact, their cries were pitiable. 



