i 4 8 THE CUCKOO’S SECRET 
The Laying of the Fifteenth and Last Egg , June 13. 
This was the only egg of this year’s series 
during the laying of which we were not present. 
The nest we had in view for its reception to-day 
was the second of the combined Nos. 3 and 4 pair of 
Meadow Pipits which yesterday had three eggs, and 
we knew that this was the last remaining Meadow 
Pipit’s nest on the common hitherto unused by 
the Cuckoo, for indeed we had so ordained it. 
On looking this morning to see if the Pipit had 
laid her fourth egg, Smyth and I could hardly 
believe our eyes when we saw, instead of the 
expected four eggs, the Cuckoo’s egg lying on its 
small end against three of those of the fosterer, in 
such a position as showed that it had only just been 
laid there and that the Pipit had not touched 
the eggs since ; moreover, the Cuckoo’s egg was 
still quite warm, the other eggs cold. We looked 
at our watches and it was exactly 9.40 a.m., well 
over three hours earlier than any of our previously 
recorded times. The Cuckoo had shown us this 
nest during the manoeuvres of two days ago, and 
I had specially arranged for my eldest brother, 
Macomb Chance, who had travelled from Scotland, 
to see to-day’s last egg laid. 
Constant observation for days following left 
