9 o 
THE CUCKOO’S SECRET 
throughout the season appeared to be that they 
welcomed the Cuckoo’s attentions as though they 
were royal favours ; the actions of the male bird 
in particular were fussy in the extreme. 
At 1.45 the Cuckoo was frightened away by a 
passer-by. She returned at 2.10 and took up a 
position in the leafy boughs of the cherry tree A ; 
although she was well concealed her presence 
could always be detected by the constant visits of 
the male Pipit. At 2.45 the Cuckoo was again 
disturbed by a man passing under her tree, for it 
overhung a footpath, but at 3.10 she returned to 
the centre orchard and settled down on her usual 
twig in the same tall pear tree near B, in which she 
had been sitting at 1 o’clock. Suddenly at 3.50 
she “ bubbled ” and immediately flew rapidly off 
into the forest, and, although some of us waited 
on in the rain until after 6 p.m., nothing more of 
her was either seen or heard. 
This was a thoroughly disappointing day ; and 
more especially so since I had invited my friends, 
Mr. and Mrs. Knibbs, purposely to see the Cuckoo 
lay her nineteenth egg. On the next day, the 21st, 
I visited nest 6 4 to find that it still contained its 
five eggs. 
On the 22nd I arrived on the scene at 10.40 a.m. 
