58 
THE CUCKOO’S SECRET 
particularly as a perfect view of the nest was to be 
obtained by climbing into a well-leaved cherry 
tree about 70 yards distant. This tree is marked 
G 1 on the plan facing p. 106. Henceforward the 
trees occupied by the Cuckoo will be designated by 
the letter which represents them on the plan. 
The various nests of the Meadow Pipits are shown 
by numerals ; thus 6 1 , 6% and so on, represent the 
first and second nests of No. 6 pair of Pipits. By 
referring to the plan the reader can the better 
visualise the movements of the Cuckoo and see at 
a glance the relationship between particular trees 
and particular nests. The “centre orchard” is 
the enclosure containing trees A, B, C, D ; the 
“ east orchard ” that containing trees G, G 1 , etc. 
At 2 p.m. Owen took up a position in the tree 
whilst I remained below where I could obtain a 
wider view of the common. To our intense 
excitement at 3 p.m. a Cuckoo — from the bubbling 
call on arrival and peculiar behaviour afterwards 
we soon decided that it was the female — came and 
settled in the very next tree (G, a pear) to that in 
and under which we were waiting. For quite ten 
minutes neither of us dared to move for fear of 
disturbing her, but gradually I crept behind the 
tree-trunk and got into a position from which I 
