198 
NATURE NOTES. 
the toad, when gently pressed by me, squeal, when it made no sound while the 
snake was mangling it in detail ? 
Abinger Hatch, Dorking. W. Mii.ligan. 
Cuckoo Life. — Some rather curious phases of cuckoo life have fallen under 
my observation during the last month or two. Living in a quiet country house 
with high ivy-covered walls surrounding the gardens, bird life is greatly in 
evidence. This spring a pair of robins built their nest on an ivied wall a few 
yards from our dining-room windows. When the eggs were within a few days 
of hatching we were surprised one evening to hear both the robins crying out in 
alarm, and flying about wildly, and to see a cuckoo flying to their nest. The two 
owners attacked the intruder and pecked it so fiercely about the head that it was 
obliged to beat a quick retreat. In a few minutes, however, it returned to the 
fray, but so hot and well-directed was the home defence that the cuckoo rolled 
over on the lawn. On its regaining its feet, both the robins stood on its back and 
pecked with might and main ; this finally routed the enemy for the evening. But 
the following morning the battle was again fought, with the same result. The 
robin sat on her eggs two days longer, and then forsook her nest. About a week 
ago we heard the well-known squeak of a young cuckoo crying for food. On 
going into the garden we saw our young visitor being fed by a pied wagtail. 
What was our surpri.se however, a few days ago, to see the cuckoo on the wall 
accompanied by a hedge sparrow as well as the wagtail, and that both were feed- 
ing it ! The feeding goes on daily in sight of our windows, all the birds being very 
fearless. 
Chesterfield. G. E. M. 
An Indian Crow and his Nest. — The following singular act of 
.systematic theft, carried on by a crow, is literally true. Me.ssrs. Lawrence and 
Mayo, opticians, have a place of business in Rampart Row, Bombay, and rooms 
also in Forbes Street, where pebbles and the frames for spectacles are manufac- 
tured. The assistant in charge of the latter found out quite recently that a large 
number of gold, silver, and steel spectacle frames had very mysteriously disap- 
peared. The men employed were at first suspected ; orders were given that no 
one but the manager should have access to the room. The thefts, however, con- 
tinued day by day ; the manager could find out nothing. One Thursday, however, 
whilst attending to his work, he was startled by hearing the flapping of a bird’s 
wings at the window, and saw a large crow, which, when it had picked up a frame 
in its beak, flew away in the direction of the building occupied by Messrs Greaves, 
Cotton & Co. The bird was observed to carry the frame which it had stolen on 
to the roof of their building ; and permission having been obtained from the 
occupiers of the premises to go over the roof, the assistant found that the thieving 
bird had constructed thereon for itself a cosy and comfortable nest, composed of 
the missing frames. The design of this gold and silver structure was so ingenious, 
and presented such a beautiful appearance, being so deftly and carefully woven 
together, that it was decided to keep it intact for a time, and before the materials 
were unwoven and separated, Messrs. Lawrence and Mayo had a photograph of 
the nest taken. There were altogether eighty-four frames, of the aggregate value 
of about 500 rupees (;^So), which had been stolen by the bird, and were it not 
for the fact that it was discovered in time, the poor workmen of the establishment 
would, no doubt, have got into trouble. 
T. B. Dickins. 
Poisoning of Young Birds. — Since Miss Corbel’s remarks about the 
poisoning of young birds by their parents, I have heard from several people in 
this neighbourhood that it is not an uncommon thing, though, strange to say, 1 
never heard it before. I have heard it of kestrels, blackbirds, and starlings, and 
the impression seems to be that the jjoisoning is done with .some leaf. It would 
be interesting to find out what leaf. 
North Moreton, Wallingford. M. S. Y. 
Elms and Frost. — Never until this year have I seen elm trees injured by 
frost. Several of the finest elms in the village flowered very freely, and the 
