176 
NATURE NOTES 
fine osprey came along, and I saw him swoop down and take several fish. It 
was evident that he ate the fish whilst flying, but I could not absolutely see this. 
I waited my time, and it was not long. Phis grand bird soon took his fish 
within fifteen yards of where I was standing, in the claws of the left foot, and, 
bending down the head and advancing the foot, I saw him devour his prey on the 
wing. Of course if he had taken a large fish he would have had to land to make 
his meal off it. There is a splendid picture of this latter scene in a publication 
on “Natural History,” I think of Cassell's, but I have left my copy in England. 
I shall hope one day to see a large fish taken, and if I do will send you an account 
of the struggle between bird and fish. The gulls (nioueties) have left us, and are 
no doubt nesting in some more secluded locality than this, not far from the water. 
I think I know where to find them, and as soon as I do will v/rite you further. 
These birds are exceedingly tame here in the winter, and people feed them by 
throwing bread to them which is taken flying. The food is also taken flying from 
the hand. I miss very much the golden eagles that I used constantly to see here 
twelve years ago, and two of which I once met quite close when fishing in the 
Rhone valley. They were feeding on a dead lamb. Of course these are 
dangerous and destructive birds, and I expect that their stronghold above Aigle 
has been successfully stormed by man. 
Montrtux. GILES A. Daubeny. 
April 27, 1901. 
The Sparrows in Hyde Park. — Visitors to Hyde Park are pretty well 
acquainted with the sparrows and pigeons there. About three weeks ago, while 
strolling through the Park, an incident occurred that highly amused me at the 
time. A gentleman who was feeding some sparrows with bread-crumbs was 
evidently pleased with his innocent occupation, for now and then he would throw 
the crumbs up in the air, and the sparrows caught them before they reached the 
ground. Not contented with this aerial display of nimbleness, one of them 
had the audacity to perch itself on the gentleman’s hand and helped himself 
to the crumbs, while his mates had to be satisfied with those that he dropped. 
2, Canonbury Place. Chas. E. J. Hannett. 
July!), 1901. 
Rooks. — In reply to Mr. Charles Bethell’s note, I know for a fact that 
rooks have left a rookery when the young birds have not been shot down, but as 
to whether that was the cause of the birds so doing it is extremely difficult to say. 
Rooks will desert their nest trees because (apparently) of the trees decaying, but 
the former incident seems inexplicable. 
July 5, 1901. W. Percival Westell, M.B.O.U. 
Do Cuckoos suck Eggs ? — It has been denied and thought ridiculous 
that cuckoos suck other birds’ eggs, but an incident which came under my notice 
during the spring of this year leaves very little (if any) doubt that cuckoos do 
sometimes suck the eggs of other birds. When going across a field in the vicinity 
of Northwood along with an ardent naturalist friend we found a thrush’s nest 
which contained three eggs. On our return journey, half-an-hour afterwards, we 
observed that the old birds were making a great commotion (like birds do when 
a cat or a hawk is about), and at the same time a cuckoo flew out of the bush 
which contained the nest, and settled on an oak tree close by. Our suspicions 
being aroused we again looked at the nest, and found all the three eggs broken, 
and their contents gone. Each of the eggs had had a hole made in the side as 
they lay in the nest, not smashed, bttt exactly such as anyone would expect to be 
made by a bird’s beak. I took the nest str.iightway and have preserved it along 
with the eggs as they appeared at the time. I may say that on two previous 
occasions I have found eggs (thrushes) pierced in the same way. 
41, Heath Street, James E. Whiting. 
Hampstead, N. IV. , 
August 13, 1901. 
Habits of Cuckoos. — Is it likely that a cuckoo will visit the same district 
year after year when it returns to this country ? The following fact leads me to 
conclude that such is the case. In April, 1899, two or three cuckoos were daily 
seen in the trees about my garden. One had a very peculiar note, the second 
syllable of which was very hoarse, just as if it had a bad cold. The effect was 
somewhat ludicrous. The following year, April, 1900, the cuckoos arrived as 
