Cuckoo's eggs found by us in any one nest was eight, 

 with five of the Magpie. I am assured that in a certain 

 district of Andalucia this Cuckoo lays commonly in the 

 nests of the Blue-winged Pie [Ct/anopica cooJci) ; but, 

 although I have no reason to doubt this story, I have 

 as yet no proof of its truth. 



The eggs of this species vary but little in ground- 

 colour and markings — pale greenish blue with red- 

 brown and purple spots ; but the variation in size 

 frequently met with in eggs from the same nest is 

 very remarkable. Colonel Irby writes : — " The egg can 

 be easily distinguished by its elliptical form, those of 

 the Magpie being pointed at one end ; " and as a 

 general rule this distinction holds good. The shell of 

 the Cuckoo's egg is also much smoother and far more 

 strong than that of the Magpie. 



The difference of plumage between adults and birds 

 of the year is so singular and noticeable that more 

 than one writer on ornithology has treated of the latter 

 as a distinct species ; for this reason, and because the 

 adult has been more frequently figured than the young 

 bird, I have given the prominent place in the accom- 

 panying Plate to a bird of the year. The Spotted 

 Cuckoo is a noisy, restless bird, constantly during the 

 spring and early summer engaged in pursuing and 

 being pursued by its own species and the Magpies. 

 In flight it much resembles our Common Cuckoo ; 

 both sexes are very vociferous, their notes consisting of 

 a harsh barking chatter and a loud rolling cry, which 

 Mr. Saunders renders not inaptly by the word " burroo- 

 burroo," rapidly repeated. 



