FOURTH SEASON (1921) : RECORD 145 
The Laying of the Thirteenth Egg , June 9. 
We began the day not knowing of a nest in 
suitable condition for the Cuckoo, despite a special 
5 a.m. rise to search on the part of five of us, for we 
knew the nest must be ready somewhere, so we 
had to guard the common very closely in order 
that she should find it for us. This she duly did 
at 1.6 p.m., when she floated to the fifth nest of 
No. 6 pair which contained three eggs. We rushed 
up the hides, placing Hawkins in one at eight yards 
from the nest, whilst Simmonds and I occupied 
another about twelve yards off. As we were 
getting ready the Cuckoo made repeated attempts 
to come down. No sooner were the hides 
occupied than at 1.15 down came the Cuckoo on 
a fifty yards’ glide from tree G 2 , straight to the 
exact spot, looked up at Hawkins whilst the 
camera was working, popped into the nest, took 
out an egg, laid, and was away again with the 
fosterer’s egg in twenty-five seconds, which in- 
cluded the glide from the tree and the hesitation 
outside the nest. 
To-day’s visitors included the Rev. Allan Ellison, 
of Tenbury. 
L 
