natural Htftory of the Cuckoo. 
225 
EXAMPLE I. 
The Titlark is frequently felefted by the Cuckoo to take 
charge of its young one ; but as it is a bird lefs familiar than 
many that I have mentioned, its neft is not lo often difco- 
vered. I have, neverthelefs, had feveral Cuckoo’s eggs brought 
to me that were found in Titlark’s nefts ; and had one oppor- 
tunity of feeing the young Cuckoo in the neft of this bird : I 
faw the old birds feed it repeatedly, and, to fatisfv mvfelf that 
they were really Titlarks, fhot them both, and found them to* 
be fo. 
example ir. 
A Cuckoo laid her egg in a Water- wagtail’s neft in the 
thatch of an old cottage. The Wagtail fat her ufual time, 
and then hatched all the eggs but one ; which, with all the 
young ones, except the Cuckoo, was turned out of the neft. 
The young birds, confiding of five, were found upon a rafter 
that projected from under the thatch, and with them was the 
egg, not in the lead: injured. On examining the egg, 1 found 
the young Wagtail it contained quite perfect, and juft in fuch 
a ftate as birds are when ready to be difengaged from the ftiell. 
The Cuckoo was reared by the Wagtails till it was nearly 
capable of flying, when it was killed by an accident; 
EXAMPLE in. 
A Hedge-fparrow built her neft in a hawthorn bufh in' a 
timber-yard : after fhe had laid two eggs, a Cuckoo dropped in 
a third. 
