86 
THE CUCKOO’S SECRET 
found by Simmonds, junr., yesterday, which a few 
hours ago had been seen to contain three eggs. So 
I went to look at this nest but found it undisturbed. 
Whilst standing by it at 5.45 I happened to catch 
sight of a Cuckoo flying up from the spot (5 4 ) where 
at 1 p.m. we had found with one egg the fourth 
nest of No. 5 pair. Promptly I put my glasses on 
the Cuckoo as she settled in a tree beside cherry 
tree (H), and felt convinced that I saw an egg in 
her beak. 
After flying into another tree near by she flew 
across “ bubbling ” into the centre orchard and 
was there joined by a male. Then we went to the 
nest 5 4 and found her seventeenth egg left in 
exchange for that of the fosterer. 
This being the due day and time for the 
eighteenth egg, I then thought that after all she 
must have laid on the 14th, possibly during the 
thunderstorm, which prevented the party doing 
any really effective watching after 4 p.m. Conse- 
quently for day after day we scoured every inch 
of the common and its vicinity in the hope of finding 
this presumed missing egg. So minute was our 
search that it is extremely unlikely that any nest 
of any species could have been overlooked on the 
common. Later I was to learn that it is quite a 
