ii6 
THE CUCKOO’S SECRET 
up a position in the tall wild cherry tree B. The 
fact that she occupied the self-same perch as last 
year convinced me that she was Cuckoo A, although 
I had all along been almost sure of her identity. 
For twenty minutes she sat in the same spot, with 
a Meadow Pipit in close attendance, and, until she 
slipped away, we really thought that she intended 
to lay, although she never apparently concentrated 
on any definite spot and was not in the right 
position to float to No. 7, the nest anticipated for 
her first egg. But she was in a suitable tree to 
observe No. 6. 
The Laying of the First Egg , May 12. 
After breakfast the female Cuckoo was busy 
“ bubbling ” in the east orchard containing the 
trees marked G, with one male in close and a 
second in more distant attendance. About 
12.50 p.m. she flew into the centre orchard “ wah- 
wahing ” and followed by Meadow Pipits. After 
she had been sitting for a quarter of an hour in the 
tall pear tree (B 1 ), with Pipits fluttering near, I 
approached and she flew to the east orchard where 
I could not find her perch. At 1.20 she returned 
to the centre orchard and at 1.40 was back in the 
east orchard with two Meadow Pipits. 
