8o 
THE CUCKOO’S SECRET 
The Laying of the Sixteenth Egg , June 12. 
Again no nest was known to be available, and 
the acute shortage of fosterers looked like preventing 
this prolific Cuckoo from establishing the record 
series of eggs. On this occasion the watchers 
consisted of O. R. Owen, P. B. Smyth, the two 
Simmondses, and myself, so we were sufficiently 
numerous to keep the common fairly well under 
view. 
The first item of interest was that the Cuckoo 
was observed to settle for a short while in a cherry 
tree (K) which is in a cottage garden on the north- 
east side. From that tree she could observe the 
movements of No. 1 pair of Meadow Pipits and the 
solitary male of No. 4 pair. She was probably 
locating the fifth nest of No. 1 pair to which she 
was seen to fly three days later, and which she used 
six days from now. At this date we had definitely 
identified as having so far escaped the Kestrel’s 
clutches Nos. 5 and 6 pairs of Meadow Pipits, and 
we were hopeful of Nos. 1 and 8. 
About 2.10 the Cuckoo came from a south-west 
direction and perched in the top boughs of the 
tallest tree (C), a pear, in the centre orchard, being 
thus observed by Smyth. She sat so silent and 
still that by 2.30 he felt convinced that she intended 
