it lays only one egg during the season. 
This we can positively state not to be the 
tact, (and we are happy to have the autho- 
rity of so able an Ornithologist as the late 
G. Montagu, Esq. in confirmation of our 
assertion) for on dissecting the female 
before mentioned and other females which 
have been under our inspection, which 
were killed soon after their arrival in this 
country, we have invariably found four or 
five eggs in a forward state and a number 
of smaller ones, but from the smallest of 
the above number to what may be termed 
secondary eggs, there w as a sudden break 
otF, not a gradual decrease in size. Monta- 
gu was of opinion that the female Cuckow, 
contrary to the nature of most other birds, 
had the power of retaining the egg after 
it had arrived at maturity, and had been 
impregnated by the male, he says thai 
"there is much reason for supposing this 
bird is endowed with so extraordinary a 
property, considering it makes no nest, 
and that it is obliged to seek the nest of 
another bird to deposit it in, and that nest 
