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THE CUCKOO’S SECRET 
(8) June 4; (9) June 6; (10) June 8; (11) June 10; 
(12) June 14 ; (13) June 16 ; (14) June 18, and 
she was actually seen to lay all but three of these 
fourteen eggs. Incidentally we found one of her 
eggs last year, on June 26. A second bird 
was Cuckoo L, which laid three eggs on May 17, 
19, and 21, after which no more of her eggs were 
found, and it is highly probable that “ Mary 
Pickford ” would no longer tolerate her rivalry. A 
third bird, Cuckoo M, laid on May 25, and we saw 
no more of her on this common, but we did find 
another of her eggs on still another common about 
a mile away. A fourth bird, Cuckoo N, also laid 
two eggs, one about June 14, the other about the 
20th, but of these more hereafter. A fifth Cuckoo, 
K, who was here last year, laid but one egg and 
that on May 31 in the Meadow Pipit’s nest from 
which “ Mary Pickford ’s ” sixth egg had been 
taken at 4.10 p.m. on the same afternoon. 
It was gratifying to find that my Cuckoo A 
and “ Mary Pickford ” were laying on alternate 
days, since it enabled the observers on both commons 
to take opportunities of seeing both birds, and also 
to give assistance when additional watchers were 
called for. So it came about that I was able to be 
present at many of the most interesting occurrences 
