432 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
peculiar sight it was to see this pretty specimen of a bird courting care from 
the little Twites. One could not wish to see a better sight than the graceful 
form of its flight during the latter part of the time. It improved in flying 
during the week. A Kestrel soaring nearly caused some little hubbub on 
one occasion, the Cuckoo’s cries, evidently showing that it wanted protection 
from its little guardians, drawing our attention to the matter, which was 
interesting to us. The last appearance of this bird was on Aug. 15th, by 
which time the peculiar “ cheep ” of its voice had changed to a sort of croak. 
It had become a beautiful specimen of its kind, and attained the power of a 
most graceful flight. ‘The foster-birds were still in attendance. Three were 
seen on a moor in the neighbourhood on Aug. 12th. One being seemingly 
larger than the others, there were some grounds for supposing that the 
former was an old one, the latter young ones. That is all that I know as 
to the latest date of their presence or waygoing. The season being late, 
they would probably have been here at a later date than usual; their de- 
parture being a mystery to me. Whether the young have instinctive powers 
to lead them the proper course of themselves, or the old wait in whole or 
in part—that is, parents wait on offspring, or casual stragglers pick up young 
right and left—this year at least the old birds hed generally disappeared 
before these young ones referred to were able to follow. How far they may 
go at first is also worthy of notice, as they may only remove in stages of a 
few miles at a time from this part, seeing that they appear much later in the 
milder parts of the kingdom. Then, as they do not pair, as is believed, 
would the males move away before the females? The latter might be kept 
waiting for or with their young, but—and as others who are polygamous 
have males which show more or less interest in the offspring of their species 
—we cannot conclude that the males do not equal in interest the females. 
In short, the point being debated whether the old take any interest after 
depositing the egg, it is just possible that the males would equal the females 
in showing attention, which latter has been proved to have been shown to 
young at various times. When the attachment continues so long towards 
the foster-birds, it would be interesting to know how they parted company. 
Would the youngster by a long flight leave behind such foster-birds as those 
we have been speaking of, who live in small space, or would the latter shake 
the former off in due time? There is also the point, would one of the 
old Cuckoos appear in due course, or is the whole thing a matter of mere 
accident ? 
Then I have to say about the clearing away of the eggs or young of the 
foster-birds. In the two cases this year it is pretty clear that neither was 
done by the young Cuckoos—one being impossible, the other most im- 
probable. It must have been either the old Cuckoo or the foster: birds that 
nad cleared away the young in one case, the eggs in another, to make room 
