fwallow, which on difcovering the addition in its neft, pre- 

 cipitately forfopk it, and did not ever return, but built a new 

 neft at a diitance from the former one. It is not a little 

 curious that this bird always lays in the nefts of fuch birds as 

 feed on infefts, by which it fecures a fupply of proper food 

 to its abandoned offspring : the Hedge- Sparrow v/ill frequently 

 continue to feed the young Cuckow for a confiderable time 

 after it has:le.ft the neft ; the Cuckow is faid " to reft itfelf on 

 ' its fide in order that the Hedge-Sparrow may be able to reach 

 its mouth, and it frequently extends one wing for the bird to 

 pitch on to perform that office." 



This bird ufually arrives here about the beginning of April, 

 and quits towards the end of' July, though we have known 

 them killed as late as the month of 0£lober ; the well-known 

 cry of the male bird is began to be uttered foon after its arri- 

 val, and ceafes about the month of June; this year we heard 

 one on the feventeenth of July. It feeds on infe£ls, particu- 

 larly caterpillars ; on the fourth of June, this year (1812) we 

 obferved one very bufily engaged picking the caterpillars of 

 the peacock and fmall tortoifeftiell butterflies from off a net- 

 tle, it feemed to fwallow thefe with confiderable difficulty, 

 being fome feconds in paffing a fingle one, to perform which, 

 -;lt ufed very great exertion ; after it had cleared the nettle it 

 flew to fome cabbages, where it found abundance of the cater- 

 pillars of the white butterfly, which being quite fmooth and 

 free from hair, it eat them as faft and with as much facility 

 as a pigeon would the fame number of peas. When it had 

 iinifhed its repaft we killed it, and on opening it, found the 

 hairy caterpillars almoft cleared of hair, which was adhering to 

 the fides of the gullet and ftomach ; this may have given rife 



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