T 3 2 
THE CUCKOO’S SECRET 
be more correct to say that we led her one. The 
third nest of No. 9 pair was the one we expected the 
Cuckoo to use to-day, so we placed Miss Turner’s 
hide within 3 yards of it — Hawkins having now 
left us for a few days to develop and report upon 
the film so far exposed. The nest of No. 7 pair 
was still available, but as the Cuckoo had already 
paid it two abortive visits, prior to laying her last 
two eggs, we regarded it with little or no confidence. 
As we discovered later in the day, there was also a 
nest with two eggs of No. 5 pair. 
Our party consisted of H. Massey (who had 
travelled specially from Manchester despite the 
coal strike !), O. R. Owen, the two Simmondses, 
Miss Turner, Miss Young, and myself. At 12.5 the 
Cuckoo sat in her favourite cherry tree (B) in the 
centre orchard in such a position that she faced No. 5 
territory, had her back to No. 9, and was sideways 
on to No. 7. At 12.55 I purposely placed myself 
on No. 5 territory in the direct line of her vision, 
expecting to learn something thereby. Two 
minutes later she flew, followed by a Pipit, over 
my head into the orchard behind me and settled 
in the cherry tree H 1 she so often uses prior to 
laying on No. 5 and No. 6 territories. At 1.5, 
followed by the Pipit, she flew straight towards 
