THE SECOND SEASON (1919) 25 
Meadow Pipits ' eggs were taken away, this of 
course compelling their owners to build and lay 
again. 
On the evening of May 18 I was again on the 
common, and found a Cuckoo's egg alone in a 
Meadow Pipit's nest. In every respect this egg 
was exactly similar to the distinctive series of nine 
taken last season, so I was rejoiced to find that my 
favourite Cuckoo A was back again. I substituted 
for her egg one of a Meadow Pipit, but no more 
were laid in the nest, which, to judge by the be- 
haviour of the owner, was not deserted when found. 
Probably she resented the substitution of a smaller 
e gg* 
On May 22 I found A 2 in a Meadow Pipit's 
nest with three eggs about two days incubated. 
Later in the same day I took A 3 plus four fresh eggs 
of a Meadow Pipit from a nest which had contained 
three of its rightful eggs on the 20th. 
On May 28 I found A 4 with four fresh eggs of a 
Meadow Pipit in a nest under a small hummock ; 
from the actions of the Pipits I had six days before 
felt sure that there was a nest near by. On the 
same day I took A 5 from a Meadow Pipit's nest 
with three fresh eggs. It is interesting to note that 
this fifth egg, as in the case of the fifth egg of next 
