Of the true hiflory of this bird, but little was known till 

 Mr. Genner, in a letter to the late Mr. John Hunter, 

 publifhed in the feventy-eighth volume of the Philofophical 

 Tranfadions, gave to the world the extraordinary highly 

 interefting account we here tranfcribe. " On the eighteenth 

 of June 1787, Mr. Genner examined the neft of a Hedge- 

 Sparrow, which then contained a Cuckow's and three Hedge- 

 Sparrow's eggs. On infpeding it the day following, the bird 

 had hatched, but the neft contained only a young Cuckow 

 and one young Hedge-Sparrow. The neft was placed fo near 

 the extremity of a hedge, that he could diftinftly fee what was 

 going forvyard in it; and, to his great aftonifhment, he faw 

 the young Cuckow, though fo lately hatched, in the ad of 

 turning out the young Hedge- Sparrow. 



The mode of accomplifhing this'was curious ; the little 

 animal, with the alliftance of its rump and wings, contrived 

 to get the bird on its back, and making a lodgement for its 

 burden by elevating its elbows, clambered backwards whh it 

 up the fide of the neft till it reached the top, where, refting for 

 a moment, it threw off its load with a jerk, and quite difen- 

 gaged it from the neft : after remaining a fhort time in this 

 fituation, and feeling about with its wings as if to be convinced 

 th^t the bufinefs was properly executed, it dropped into the 

 neft again." 



The Cuckow generally makes choice of the Hedge-Spar- 

 ifow's neft to depofit its egg, it will alfo lay in the common 

 and yellow wagtails, the white-throats, reed-fparrows, titlarks, 

 and we know of one laying in a fwallow's neft ; we have known 

 thfii young reared by all the foregoing with .the exception of the 

 - ■ fwallow. 



