NOTES AND QUERIES. 431 
Meadow Pipit, and that she had some excellent though recondite motive for 
so doing. To others I leave the responsibility of explaining away an 
apparently singular aberration on the part of a species which, according to 
some people, is “‘ knowing ” even to the extent of being able to diversify the 
colouring of its eggs to suit the exigencies of each recurring situation ! 
But, apart from all speculation on the issues raised, it is impossible not to 
recognize that the discovery of a perfectly fresh Cuckoo’s egg alongside a 
Meadow Pipit’s egg on the very point of hatching must bea matter of no 
small interest to scientific ornithologists, since, so far as I am aware, 
nothing of the kind has ever been before recorded ; while far from tending 
to elucidate anything in connection with the economy of the species, the 
incident, if not to be dismissed as a lapsus on the part of an undiscerning 
Cuckoo, seems to me to involve a most perplexing economy in still deeper 
mystery.—H. 8. Davenport (Melton Mowbray). 
Cuckoos in 1898.—It seems clear that some peculiarity exists at the 
present time here connected with calls upon the services of the Mountain 
Linnet (Linota flavirostris) as foster-birds. Following up my observations 
since my last communication, I observed another young Cuckoo on an 
adjoining moor on July 30th. I was attracted to it by the peculiar 
“cheep” of this young bird, which of course was away from the nest. Its 
entreaties were evidently directed towards its foster-parents, and on 
changing its position from the sloping ground where it was when it first 
saw me to the branch of a willow bush, where it clung tenaciously, the 
Mountain Linnets were both promptly in attendance. We may assume 
that they were the foster-birds, and their interest in the young Cuckoo was 
equal to anything which I have observed by these birds in that direction 
when looking after their own young after these have left the nest. These 
three were seen near the same place in similar form on Aug. 8th. Another 
young one made its appearance on my hay-field on Aug. 6th; the peculiar 
‘‘cheep” drew attention to it, and it seemed to have just recently taken 
to flight. It was not the rufous one mentioned in my last communi- 
cation, being of a dark blue colour. This bird may be thus considered 
another of this year, and had the same species of birds for foster- 
parents. As hay-making operations were being executed at the time, 
ample opportunities occurred for observing the movements of this indi- 
vidual, which was seen daily up to Aug. 12th; sometimes being under 
cover, sometimes appearing in graceful flight, perching on an adjoining 
bush, the fences of the field, or on the implements. It seemed to become 
acquainted with our movements, and it occurred to me that the nature 
of the flies and such like was the attraction which kept this one so 
closely amongst us. We neither saw it taking food itself, nor being fed 
by the foster-parents, but the latter were always in attendance; and a 
