78 
THE CUCKOO’S SECRET 
Then Simmonds went to report the situation 
to his son and to Smyth, instructing them to keep 
a sharp look-out on the centre orchard to prevent 
the Cuckoo slipping away through it unobserved. 
He then posted himself behind the cherry tree, 
thus placing the Cuckoo directly between us. 
At 5.30 I realised that the Cuckoo would either 
soon lay or fly off and join her mates, so I beckoned 
to Simmonds, junr., to join me and whilst keeping 
my eyes on the spot where the Cuckoo was sitting, 
sent him to ask Smyth to join me whilst he joined 
his father. Towards 6 p.m. I took Smyth to 
within 70 yards of the tree, where he could clearly 
see the motionless Cuckoo again being buffeted by 
the cock Chaffinch, whose nest was presumably 
close at hand, whereas the cock Tree Pipit was 
singing joyously and constantly alighting in the 
most unconcerned manner on the tree in which 
the Cuckoo sat. 
Then, at my suggestion, Smyth lay down where 
he could clearly see the top of the cherry tree D, 
where the Cuckoo sat, but without raising his head 
he could not see the ground beneath the tree or 
the actual spot where the Tree Pipit’s nest was 
situated. Leaving Smyth I went round to the 
Simmondses. After a time we heard the familiar 
