Of the true hiftory 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 Hedges 
Sparrow, which then contained a Cuckow's and three Hedge-. 
Sparrow's eggs. On infpeding it the day following, thq 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 diftin6lly fee what was 
going forward in it ; and, to his great aftoniftiment, he faw 
the young Cuckow, though fo lately hatched,; hi the ad of 
turning out the young Hedge- Sparrow. 
<^ Th^ mode of accompliftiing this was curious ; the little « 
;animal, with the affiftance of its rump and wings, contrive^ 
to get the bird on its back, ^nd making a lodgement for its 
burden by elevating its elbows, clambered backwards with it 
up the fide of the neft till it reached the top, where, reftingfor 
^ 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 
that the bufinefs was properly executed, it dropped into the 
neft again,'* 
The Cuckow generally makes choice of the Hedge- Spar^ 
|ow*s neft to depofit its egg, it will alfo lay in the cammor^ 
and yellow wagtails, the white-throats, reed^fparrows, titlarks.,j 
^nd we know of one laying in a fwallow's neft ; we have known, 
the young reared by all the foregoing with the exception of the 
- , ■ fwalloWj, 
