6o 
THE CUCKOO’S SECRET 
chased by both Pipits, right across the common 
into the centre orchard. We felt that she could 
not have had time to lay at the nest, but for all that 
we then knew she might have thrown up the egg 
from her throat ; a visit to the nest dispelled any 
such delusion. 
Being more than anxious for the Cuckoo to 
return it was much to our distress that some boys 
were now wandering about the common. At 
5.45 p.m. the Cuckoo came back to the tree but 
was disturbed after she had stayed for ten minutes 
only. At 6.10 p.m. two Cuckoos flew across from 
the centre orchard, one vociferously “ cuckoo ”-ing, 
being obviously a male in close attendance upon a 
female. They remained in the orchard near us 
for ten minutes and then flew right away across 
the forest, shattering our hopes for the day and 
leaving us more puzzled than ever. 
Being joined by the Simmondses towards 7 p.m. 
we started hunting ‘and found a new nest of No. 5 
pair (5 3 ) apparently ready for eggs. Next morning, 
May 30, this nest contained one egg, and so did a 
nest of No. 9 pair (9 3 ) which we had found being 
built on the 25th. On the same morning at 10 a.m. 
we saw a Cuckoo rise from the ground chased by 
a pair of Pipits from the neighbourhood of nest 9 3 . 
