162 



KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



Bitting on the young in the nest, as other birds 

 do. — J. McIxtosh. 



The appearance of these interesting facts 

 in print, and their eager reception by natu- 

 ralists, seem to have awakened Mr. Double- 

 day's dormant passions. In language most 

 foul, he thus rashly replied to the reviewer — 

 at once exposing his own ignorance, and his 

 anything but praiseworthy motives: — 



The Cuckoo. — To the Editor of the Gardeners' 

 Chronicle. — Sir, in a review of the Naturalist 

 in your last number, it is stated, on the authority 

 of a writer in that periodical, that the cuckoo 

 does feel attachment to its young, etc. This 

 statement, in such a widely-circulated journal as 

 the Gardeners' Chronicle, may mislead many 

 persons accustomed to place implicit confidence 

 in its contents. As it appears to confirm asser- 

 tions altogether incorrect, I will proceed to notice 

 the writer's remarks. He says " In the month 

 of July, a hedge accentor constructed its nest in 

 a holly hedge." This bird is one of ofir earliest 

 breeders, and I much doubt if ever a recent nest 

 was seen in the month of July. " Immediately 

 on its being finished, and before the owner had 

 time to deposit her second egg, a cuckoo de- 

 posited in the nest her egg, which occupied but 

 a few minutes ; and immediately took her depar- 

 ture, uttering at the same time her well-known 

 cry of ' cuckoo, cuckoo,' in rapid succession." 

 Nearly all the old cuckoos leave this country at 

 the end of June and beginning of July. And 

 the female never utters the cry of " Cuckoo," her 

 only note being a harsh chatter. The writer 

 then goes on to state that the young were fed by 

 the female cuckoo, upon the larvae of Abraxas 

 grossulariata, taken from gooseberry bushes. 

 Now it so happens that in July not a larva 

 of this moth can be found, all having assumed the 

 winged state. The larva, which strips the goose- 

 berry bushes of their leaves, belongs to one of 

 the saw-flies (Nematus ribesii). In conclusion, 

 I positively state that the cuckoo never feeds its 

 own young ; that the female never utters the cry 

 of '*' Cuckoo ;" and that an old cuckoo is never 

 seen in this country at the end of July, at which 

 time, according to the writer's account, the young 

 cuckoo was in the nest. — Hexry Doubleday, 

 Epping. 



Mr. Mcintosh's reply to this remarkable 

 document, is just what might have been ex- 

 pected from so straightforward a man and 

 lover of truth. It has been copied into most 

 of the English and American Journals : 



The Cuckoo. — Sir, at page 454 of the 

 Gardeners' Chronicle appear some remarks by 

 Mr. Doubleday, of Epping, denying the truth of 

 an article which I contributed to the Naturalist. 

 This denial of Mr. Doubleday, I should have 

 treated with indifference, if Tuesday's post had 

 not brought me half a dozen letters, and three 

 Gardeners' Chronicles, from naturalists whose 

 names I am not at liberty to use, (one of whom, 

 by-the-bye, forgot to attach his name,) which I 

 here beg to^ acknowledge, expressing their opinion 

 of the subject published by me in the Natu- 

 ralist "as quite correct;" and urging that 



truth demanded should reply. This I now do, 

 and repeat that the cuckoo in the case in ques- 

 tion did feed its own young with the greatest 

 care and attention ; and that for some time in 

 the month of July, with the caterpillars of 

 Abraxas grossulariata. And that it cried 

 " Cuckoo, cuckoo ! " I again assert. That the 

 female cuckoo does cry " Cuckoo, cuckoo ! " is a 

 fact well known to myself and others. Therefore, 

 I would advise Mr. D. to live in the country for a 

 year or 60, and watch the habits of this bird, 

 which he most assuredly has never done. If 

 he is in possession of the Mag. of Nat. Hist., 

 consisting of nine volumes, he will find it re- 

 corded, long before March, 1851, that the female 

 cuckoo does cry " Cuckoo, cuckoo ! " Still 

 further, I have shot them " cuckoo, cuckooing," 

 even so late as the 8th of August ; right and 

 left, male and female. If you have patience to 

 wait, and will read the Naturalist, I shall 

 (d. v.) record some more facts from personal 

 observations on this bird, not less at variance 

 with received opinion ; and this may be because 

 I have had more and ampler opportunities of 

 studying such matters than some other persons. 

 Again, with respect to the doubts expressed of 

 a recent hedge-sparrow's nest being met with 

 in July, I have only to repeat what I have seen. 

 The hedge-sparrow, or hedge accentor's nest, 

 may be found from March to August, with fresh- 

 laid eggs and with young. I have now a nest 

 before me, taken on the 22nd of this month of 

 July, (yesterday,) with two new-laid eggs, from 

 a hedge on an open clown. I have also in my 

 possession fresh-laid eggs of this bird, taken 

 from a nest on the 7th of August, 1850 ! The 

 doubts and positive statements respecting the 

 caterpillars of Abraxas grossulariata, I am also 

 compelled to dispose of in the same way ; that 

 is, they are equally at variance with what I 

 have seen. I have, at this moment, upwards of 

 thirty caterpillars on a gooseberry bush in my 

 garden, and ten chrysales in a box, and I am 

 writing on the 23rd of July. I have frequently 

 taken and had caterpillars of Abraxas gros- 

 sulariata in the latter end of August, and be- 

 ginning of September. I have also had flies 

 from the larvae of Nematus ribesii, and I know 

 the difference between the two insects as well 

 as I know the difference between a cabbage and 

 a turnip. It is evident that Mr. Doubleday 

 has yet very much to learn respecting the natu- 

 ral history and habits of birds and insects. 

 Having made these statements and repeated 

 these facts, I regard it as a matter of great 

 | indifference as to what Mr. Doubleday may 

 ! think or say of them. My main object will be 

 answered, if I can gain a hearing from the pub- 

 '■ lie, for that which I have not read only, but 

 seen and handled. I shall only add, that a more 

 I uncourteous, ungentleman-like criticism has 

 I never before been made upon any writings of 

 i mine. For this, however, I care but little, com- 

 j ing from the quarter it does. — J. McIntosh, 

 : Charminster, Dorset. 



At this time, July 1851, we were also 

 \ writing in the Gardeners' Chronicle ; and feel- 

 i ing naturally astonished at Mr. Doubleday's 

 , temerity, we addressed the Editor as follows ; 



