natural Hijlory of the Cuckoo. 221 
The Cuckoo makes choice of the nefts of a great variety of 
fmall birds. I have known its egg intruded to the care of the 
Hedge-fparrow, the Water- wagtail, the Titlark, the Yellow- 
hammer, the green Linnet, and the Whinchat. Among 
thefe it generally feledts the three former ; but fhews a much 
greater partiality to the Hedge-lparrow than to any of the reft : 
therefore, for the purpofe of avoiding confufion, this bird only, 
in the following account, will be confidered as the fofter-parent 
of the Cuckoo, except in inftances which are particularly fpe- 
» cified. 
The Hedge-fparrow commonly takes up four or five days in 
laying her eggs. During this time (generally after fhe has laid 
one or two) the Cuckoo contrives to depofit her egg among the 
reft, leaving the future care of it entirely to the Hedge-fpar- 
row. This intrufion often occaftons fome difcompofure ; for 
the old Hedge-fparrow at intervals, whilft (lie is fitting, not 
unfrequently throws out fome of her own eggs, and fome- 
times injures them in fuch a way that they become addle; fo 
that it more frequently happens, that only two or three Hedge- 
fparrow’s eggs are hatched with the Cuckoo’s than otherwife : 
but whether this be the cafe or not, fhe fits the fame length of 
time as if no foreign egg had been introduced, the Cuckoo’s 
egg requiring no longer incubation than her own. However, I 
have never feen an inftance where the Hedge-fparrow has 
either thrown out or injured the egg of the Cuckoo. 
When the Hedge-fparrow has lat her ulual time, and difen- 
gaged the young Cuckoo and fome of her own offspring from 
the (hell *, her own young ones, and any of her eggs that 
remain unhatched, are foon turned out, the young Cuckoo 
remaining pofleflor of the neft, and foie objeft of her future 
* The young Cuckoo is commonly hatched firft, 
Hh 2 
care. 
