70 
THE CUCKOO’S SECRET 
witness the expected laying of the Cuckoo’s 
thirteenth egg. Owing to the recent disappearance 
of so many Meadow Pipits through the presumed 
depredations of the Kestrel, there were no nests 
known to us except 5 3 , which we had thought might 
have been chosen by the Cuckoo for her twelfth 
egg. I had removed one of the five eggs, and when 
the nest was looked at yesterday the pipit was 
sitting on the four remaining eggs. On going to the 
nest early this morning we were surprised to find 
only three eggs, and though visiting it again later, 
on neither occasion was the Pipit sitting. We 
therefore came to the conclusion that something 
had disturbed her, taken an egg, and caused her 
to forsake. I mention this because I was within 
an ace of transferring the eggs to the nest of some 
other bird in the hope that they might be hatched 
and so help to restock the common with Meadow 
Pipits. 
This being the only nest we believed to be 
available for the use of the Cuckoo, I was much 
exercised as to what she would do. I had not yet 
learned that if the Cuckoo had intended to victimise 
No. 5 pair to-day, the fact of the bird having- 
deserted since yesterday would be of no consequence 
seeing that the Cuckoo decides days in advance 
