NOTES AND QUERIES. 361 
there was no one to see her. Thus we are without sufficient evidence to say 
that she had no interest in them. This is the first time which I have 
known of two young ones being reared near each other. Regarding the 
numbers of eggs which one Cuckoo will produce in a single year, and 
which various naturalists have estimated at from twenty to five, we should 
favour the latter number, or perhaps even less ; but we believe that it would 
differ very much with varying conditions. When we consider that in two 
years in this neighbourhood three pairs of Mountain Linnets have been 
hatching Cuckoos, another two pairs having done so in former years, while 
no case was observed in that time of other birds doing so, we are bound to 
place this bird as the favourite foster-parent of the locality ; and if Cuckoos 
were laying many eggs the effect would be such as to curtail the foster-bird 
seriously in numbers. I cannot find a reason why this should be so, for 
there are plenty of other birds, such as Larks, Brown Linnets, Hedge- 
sparrows, Robins, Wagtails, Chaffinches, Yellowhammers, &c., which might 
serve this purpose. It is also noticeable that the favourite is quite a local 
bird, as it does not extend into the low part of the country, and hence it is 
not generally noticed in natural history works as one of the usual foster- 
parents of the Cuckoo. Another point to be observed is that this bird has 
little connection with woods, moors being its favourite haunt; while Cuckoos 
are very fond of frequenting plantations. We have seen in the one case 
that the egg resembled those of the foster-birds, while that each of the 
young birds differed in the colour of plumage. Then the date of leaving 
here—July 7th is the last date which the Cuckoo was heard. I believe that 
they do not stay long after we cease to hear them; for instance, one which 
frequented my garden or its vicinity since their arrival has disappeared, and 
while some may remain for a while, everything leads me to think that they 
flit about the end of July. Then of course the foster-birds here will not 
follow far ; so that the young Cuckoos must shift for themselves, or obtain 
some guidance from parent Cuckoos or other promiscuous birds of their 
own species.—W. Witson (Alford, Aberdeen). 
Mallard and Pintail interbreeding in Captivity.— Last year I induced 
my friend Mr. R. Mann to pair a drake Pintail (Dajfila acuta) with a female 
Wild Duck (Anas boscas), but a Mallard found access to his neighbour’s 
mate, and her eggs hatched into pure-bred Mallards. This year the Pintail 
succeeded in pairing with a Wild Duck for a second time, and five eggs 
hatched. One duckling was killed by a Herring Gull, but the other four 
have feathered, and promise to be handsome specimens of this well-known 
cross. They most resemble the Pintail in immature plumage.— H. A, 
MacpueErson (Allonby Vicarage, Cumberland). 
Breeding Range of the Scaup-Duck.—I do not agree with your corre- 
-spondent, Mr. Crossman (Zool. ante, p. 819), when he presumes that any 
