THIRD SEASON (1920): RECORD 97 
two Pipit's eggs and although we waited until 
4.30 p.m., nothing more was seen of the Cuckoo. 
Later in the evening I glanced into the nest when 
passing by and was surprised to find only one 
Pipit’s egg. How, then, could anything but the 
Pipit herself have removed that egg since 4.30 p.m. ? 
The Cuckoo had not been seen on the common 
since that time. From a similar instance (Cuckoo’s 
thirteenth egg, June 6) in connection with a previous 
nest (5 3 ) of this same pair, I consider it probable 
that the removal of the egg in each case was 
effected by the Meadow Pipit herself, presumably 
resenting the too frequent attentions of the 
Cuckoo. This nest, 5 s , had obviously been 
deserted since the second egg was laid yesterday 
morning, and was probably only visited to-day by 
the Meadow Pipits because the Cuckoo was con- 
centrating her attention upon and actually visited it. 
Faintly hoping on the 27th that the Cuckoo, 
after her two visits on the 24th and 26th, might 
yet deposit her twenty-first egg in the deserted nest 
5 5 , we motored to a distant Meadow Pipit nesting 
area, secured four fresh eggs and transferred them 
to nest 5 5 , removing its one deserted egg which we 
were anxious to have in case the Cuckoo should use 
this nest. 
H 
