FOURTH SEASON (1921): RECORD 127 
The Laying of the Fifth Egg , May 20. 
We knew of no Meadow Pipit’s nest containing 
eggs, and in fact there was not one. Accordingly 
the closest guard was kept over the common so that 
no movement of the Cuckoo should be missed. 
The second nest of No. 3 pair of Meadow Pipits 
ought to have been ready for the Cuckoo to-day, 
but we had failed to find it, and later in the season 
we found the cock dead, which was why this pair 
never had a second nest. The Cuckoo on several 
occasions sat in the oak tree (L) which she often 
used last season when observing No. 1 territory. 
Eventually with a friend I saw her glide from it at 
2.50 p.m. Before there was time to advise the 
rest of the party we saw her disappear in a bank 
40 yards from her tree, and in less than thirty 
seconds she reappeared, and I could clearly see an 
egg in her beak. 
On going up we found a Tree Pipit’s nest 
containing one egg and the fifth egg of the Cuckoo. 
The fact that she used the nest of a Tree 
Pipit confirmed our view that there was no Meadow 
Pipit’s nest with eggs, which was subsequently 
definitely proved to be the case. 
My friend, T. W. Helme of Lancaster, witnessed 
with me from 50 yards’ distance to-day’s event, the 
