224 Mr . jenner ? s Gbferv&lions on the 
a third. The Sparrow continued laying, as if nothing had 
happened, till (lie had laid five, her ufual number, and then 
hit. 
June 20, 1786. On infpe&ing the neft I found, that the 
bird had hatched this morning, and that every thing but the 
young Cuckoo was thrown out. Under the neft I found one 
of the young Hedge* fparrows dead, and one egg by the fide of 
the neft entangled with the coarfe woody materials that formed 
its outfide covering. On examining the egg, I found one end 
of the fhell a little cracked, and could fee that the Sparrow it 
contained was yet alive. It was then reftored to the neft, but 
in a few minutes was thrown out. The egg being again fuf- 
pended by the outfide of the neft, was faved a fecond time from 
breaking. To fee what would happen if the Cuckoo was 
removed, I took out the Cuckoo, and placed the egg contain- 
ing the Hedge-fparrow in the neft in its ftead. The old birds, 
during this time, flew about the fpot, fhewing figns of great 
anxiety ; but when I withdrew, they quickly came to the neft 
again. On looking into it in a quarter of an hour afterwards, 
1 found the young one completely hatched, warm and lively. 
The Hedge-fparrows were buffered to remain undifturbed with 
their new charge for three hours (during which time they paid 
every attention to it) when the Cuckoo was again put into the 
neft. The old Sparrows had been fo much difturbed by thefe 
intrufions, that for fome time they fhewed an unwillingnefs to 
come to it : however, at length they came, and on examining 
the neft again in a few minutes, I found the young Sparrow 
was tumbled out. It was a fecond time reftored, but again ex- 
perienced the fame fate. 
From thefe experiments, and fuppofing, from the feeble ap- 
pearance of the young Cuckoo juft difengaged from the fhell, 
3 that 
