THIRD SEASON (1920): NOTES 103 
concentrating her attention would grow uneasy, 
leave the vicinity of the nest and fly right up to 
her, fuss nervously round her, and often make 
feeble attempts as though to attack her. Thence 
they would return to the ground at or near the nest 
and fly to and fro in a constant state of agitation. 
In this connection it should, however, be noted that 
on the single occasion this season when the Cuckoo 
victimised a pair of Tree Pipits the fosterers 
appeared to pay supreme disregard to her presence 
— unfortunately, as will have been seen from the 
notes made at the time, her actual flight to the nest 
was not observed on that occasion. Certainly no 
other fosterer could behave more nervously than 
the Meadow. Pipit, and I incline to the opinion that 
there is probably no other dupe which so utterly 
gives itself away to the female Cuckoo. 
When the Cuckoo was at the nest one or both 
of the Meadow Pipit fosterers were usually but not 
always, in attendance, and by their movements 
appeared to be greatly agitated. It will be noted 
that, except on the two occasions when the Cuckoo 
laid her egg in nests which contained eggs already 
in process of incubation, her stay at the nest was a 
matter of seconds only ; about eight seconds on the 
nest is all that she requires actually to lay — so we 
