76 



COMMON CUCKOW. 



number of eggs proves too much for the little 

 nurse to brood conveniently, she frequently de- 

 stroys one after another, and sometimes even the 

 Cuckow's; and on the contrary the bird often 

 proves a mother and step-mother at the same time, 

 by bringing into life the whole brood. 



It appears rather extraordinary that two Cuc- 

 kow's eggs * should be deposited in the same nest, 

 as the young one produced from one of them must 

 inevitably perish : yet two instances of this kind 

 fell under the observation of Dr. Jenner, one of 

 which he thus relates: < c June 27, 1787, two Cuc- 

 kows and a Hedge-sparrow were hatched in the 

 same nest this morning; one Hedge-sparrow's egg 

 remained unhatched. In a few hours after a con- 

 test began between the Cuckows for the possession 

 of the nest, which continued undetermined till 

 the next afternoon ; when one* of them, which 

 was somewhat superior in size, turned out the 

 other, together with the young Hedge-sparrow 

 and the unhatched egg. This contest was very 

 remarkable. The combatants alternately appeared 

 to have the advantage, as each carried the other 

 several times nearly to the top of the nest, and 

 then sunk down again, oppressed by the weight of 

 its burden, till at length, after various efforts, the 

 strongest prevailed, and was afterwards brought 

 up by the Hedge-sparrows/' 



The principal circumstance relating to the 

 Cuckow, in the opinion of the naturalist, is, why 



* When that has been the case they were certainly deposited 

 by different birds. 



