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CUCKOO. 



mates or the eggs. But, notwithstanding this undoubted authority, 

 many incredulous persons, to our knowledge, disbelieve the possibility 

 of the facts related. Too apt are some persons to wonder at and disbe- 

 lieve any thing seemingly out of the ordinary course of nature ; whereas 

 it should only excite our admiration. That Being, who alone can give 

 animation, can most assuredly endow it with what powers and proper- 

 ties seem best to his unerring wisdom. To disallow things because 

 our contracted comprehensions and confined ideas are limited within so 

 small a compass, savours of atheism. It is more than probable the all- 

 wise Creator of all things never intended we should penetrate into the 

 reasons for all his actions ; and shall we, mortals of fallible nature, 

 deny well-attested facts because we are not able to see into the wisdom 

 of an infallible Being ? 



But to return to the Cuckoo. — Previous to the above-mentioned 

 publication, I had taken much pains towards investigating the several 

 phenomena I had noticed in this bird, and was so fortunate as to have 

 ocular proof of the fact, related by Dr. Jenner, of a young Cuckoo 

 turning out of a hedge-sparrow's nest a young swallow I had put in for 

 the purpose of experiment. It is needless to recite all the circum- 

 stances attending this extraordinary bird, as that gentleman has so 

 amply explained it ; I shall, therefore, only add that I first saw it when 

 a few days old in the hedge-sparrow's nest, in a garden close to a cot- 

 tage, the owner of which assured me the hedge-sparrow had four eggs 

 when the Cuckoo dropped in a fifth ; that on the morning the young 

 Cuckoo was hatched, two young hedge-sparrows were also excluded ; 

 and that, on his return from work in the evening, nothing was left in 

 the nest but the Cuckoo. At five or six days old, I took it to my 

 house, where I frequently saw it throw out the young swallow for four 

 or five days after. This singular action was performed by insinuating 

 itself under the swallow, and, with its rump, forcing it out of the nest 

 with a sort of jerk. Sometimes, indeed, it failed, after much struggling, 

 by reason of the strength of the swallow, which was nearly full 

 feathered ; but, after a small respite from the seeming fatigue, it re- 

 newed its efforts, and seemed continually restless till it succeeded. 

 At the end of the fifth day this disposition ceased, and it suffered the 

 swallow to remain in the nest unmolested. 



In respect to the Cuckoo being able to continue laying from the 

 production of the first egg till she leaves us, we are doubtful, that is, 

 in regular succession ; but we suspect, contrary to all other birds, it 

 has the property of retaining its egg, of which we shall speak hereafter. 

 It is possible some may lay two lots of eggs during their stay with us ; 

 but then we have reason to believe there is a considerable space of time 



