fwallow, which on difcoverlng the addition in it5 neft, pre^ 
cipitately forfook it, and did not ever return, but built a new 
neft at a diftance from the former one. It is not a little 
curious that this bird always lays in the nefts of fuch birds as 
feed on infeds, by which it fecures a fupply of proper food 
to its abandoned offspring : the Hedge-Sparrow will frequently 
continue to feed the young Cuckow for a xonfiderable time 
after it has left 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 Oaober ; 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 infefts, 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 tortoifefhell butterflies from off a net- 
tie, it feemed to fwallow thefe with confiderable difficulty, 
being fome feconds in paffing a fmgle one, to perform which, 
it 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 
finiftied 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 
to 
