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ORNITHOLOGICAL NOTES. 

 Notes on the Breeding of the Cuckoo and Ring Ouzel.— In 



the Naturalist for October, Mr. G. T. Porritt gives an interesting account of find- 

 ing an incubated egg of the Cuckoo on the bare ground. Mr. Darwin in his ' Origin 

 of Species,' chap, viii, p. 213, gives a similar instance on the authority of Adolf 

 Miiller, to which he adds the following : — ' This rare event is probably a case of 

 reversion to the long-lost aboriginal instinct of nidification.' Perhaps a few further 

 notes on the Cuckoo would be of interest to readers of the Naturalist. One does 

 not often hear of two Cuckoo's eggs being found in the same nest. My friend 

 Mr. Wield t of Loughborough, however, found a Pied Wagtail's nest containing two 

 eggs of the former bird, and either four or five of the latter, and as the two Cuckoo 

 eggs were similar in size and colour he presumed they were placed there by the 

 same bird. Cuckoos sometimes make rather remarkable choices in selecting nests 

 to deposit their egg or eggs in. A neighbour last year brought me an egg he had 

 taken from the nest of a Common Linnet, a seed-eating bird. It would be interest- 

 ing to know how the young Cuckoo would fare on a graminivorous instead of 

 insectivorous diet. Moorland Cuckoos, which are limited in their choice of nests, 

 generally select that of the Meadow Pipit ; but these latter birds are generally 

 sitting by the time the Cuckoo lays, so that it is probable that the young Meadow 

 Pipits will aid in the hatching of their foster brother to be, and may possibly escape 

 the fate generally assigned to them of being shuffled out of the nest before they can 

 take care of themselves. I found this year a Meadow Pipit's nest containing two 

 of its own eggs considerably incubated, and one of the Cuckoo quite fresh ; the 

 Meadow Pipit's would have been hatched in about three days or so. I once met 

 with a case in which a Cuckoo laid her egg in an unfinished nest of the Pied 

 Wagtail, the latter bird laying her full complement of eggs some days later. This 

 year, at Miller's Dale, I shot a young full-grown (as regards size) Cuckoo, in a very 

 emaciated but otherwise healthy condition. As I saw no signs of its foster parents 

 I concluded that they had abandoned it, and that it had not yet learned to find 

 itself a sufficient supply of food. I think it probable that a certain amount of 

 mortality occurs amongst young Cuckoos every year from a similar cause. 



Writing of moorlands reminds me of my favourite, the Ring Ouzel. A friend 

 has recently written to me asking if I have ever seen or heard of a Ring Ouzel's 

 nest containing five eggs ? I have never met with such a case myself. On reading 

 Mr. Seebohm's new book, it struck me that he had transposed his notes, if I may 

 be so bold as to say so, on the number of eggs laid by the Ring Ouzel and Missel 

 Thrush ; he says the Ring Ouzel lays four or five finely-marked eggs,' whilst the 

 Missel Thrush's eggs ' rarely exceed four in number, and in but very few cases are 

 less.' My own experience has been exactly to the contrary. I should be glad to 

 hear what northern ornithologists have to say in the matter. — F. B. Whitlock, 

 Nottingham, November 4th, 1885. 



Sparrowhawk and Viper.— The following is an extract from an old 

 newspaper (year forgotten) : — ' A few days ago the sorter of Messrs. Rex and Co.'s 

 ' establishment in High Ousegate, York, had occasion to go to the top of the 

 ' premises, when he was surprised to find a dying Viper. Near it was laid a Pigeon, 

 ' three Rats, and a Sparrowhawk, all dead. It is presumed the Hawk had taken 

 ' the whole of its prey there to devour, including the Viper, whose bite had 

 'deprived the Hawk of life.'— J. H. Gurney, Jun., Northrepps, Norwich, 

 August 13th, 1885. 



Quail in North Lancashire.— When shooting at Pilling, in the Fylde 

 district of North Lancashire, on October 16th, I saw a Quail {Cohirnix communis). 

 This is the first I have seen or heard of in that district for some years. On reference 

 to Mitchell's ' Birds of Lancashire,' it will be seen that the Quail is now but a rare 

 visitor in that county. — E. T. Baldwin, London, October 26th, 1885. 



Fulmar Petrels near Hartlepool. — Two specimens of the Fulmar 

 Petrel {Fulmarus glacialis) have been taken here during the recent storm. One 

 was in a ploughed field, and allowed itself to be taken up easily. The other was 

 covered with sand on the beach. Both are in possession of Mr. James A. Mann 

 of this town. — John E. Robson, Hartlepool, 24th October, 1885. 

 Jan. 1886. c 



