CHAPTER VII 
THE FOURTH SEASON (1921) : THE FOSTERERS’ 
HISTORY 
In hopeful anticipation of Cuckoo A’s return for 
the fourth successive season we pursued our last 
year’s policy of paying preliminary visits to the 
common for the purpose of getting in touch with, 
and controlling the operations of, the Meadow 
Pipit fosterers. We found territories Nos. 3, 4, 5, 
6, 7, 9 in occupation by Meadow Pipits, but there 
were no birds on Nos. 1, 2, and 8. It is worthy of 
note and perhaps not merely coincidence, that 
season 1921 opened with the same number of 
pairs of Meadow Pipits on the common as there 
were male Pipits left at the close of the previous 
season. There was some slight change in the nest- 
ing areas of the various pairs, although they were 
as easily identifiable as last year, in fact more so 
owing to the reduced number. I attribute the 
reduction in the number of pairs to the ravages of 
fires, started by some of the village boys on the 
common early in March. Some of the best 
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