THE CUCKOO. 
29 
the Cufkoo's egg probably arises from the fact that the bird 
cannot find at the time a nest ready for its reception, and i.s, 
therefore, obliged to put it into the first nest where there are 
freshly-laid eggs, which will ultimately be hatched at the same 
time as the young Cuckoo, and therefore allow the latter the 
opportunity of turning out its litlle nest-fellows, and receive the 
entire attention of the two foster-parents, who find all th.ir 
time taken up in feeding the voracious youngster. A striking 
instance of the above fact was noticed by my friend, Mr. C. 
Bygrave Wharton, who observed a female Cuckoo haunting the 
vicinity of his grounds at Totton in the New Forest for some 
days. He at length discovered a Cuckoo’s egg in the nest of a 
Sedge-Warbler, and, beyond the larger size of the egg, there 
Was absolutely nothing to distinguish the egg of the Cuckoo 
from those of the rightful owner. Some five days afterwards 
he found an egg of the Cuckoo of the same “ Sedge- Warbler ” 
type, but this lime in the nest of a Jleed-Bunting," whose eggs 
were, of course, of a wholly different pattern. This seemed to 
show that the egg laid by the Cuckoo was like that of the 
Sedge-Warbler, and that on the first occa.sion the bird had 
found a ne.st ready to hand, but, in the case of the second egg, 
no Sedge-Warbler in the neighbourhood had a nest ready, and 
therefore the Cuckoo was forced to put it into the nest of the 
Reed-Bunting. Sucli instances could no doubt be multi- 
plied, but, as we have before hinted, the natural history of 
our Common Cuckoo is such a complex subject that a 
book might easily be written about the bird and its peculiar 
habits. 
1 hat the Cuckoo lays its eggs at intervals has long been 
believed, but Dr. Rey, a well-known German oologist, has 
recently given his opinion that the interval between the de- 
position of the eggs is much shorter than is generally supposed, 
3-nd that a single female will lay from seventeen to twenty-two 
oggs ! Much has been surmised as to whether the old Cuckoos 
ake any interest in their offspring after it is hatched, but 
professor Newton writes, “of the assertion that the Cuckow* 
forn Newton always c.alls the bird the “ Ciickow,” wliich is the 
Ipn?. >? / jbe more scholarly Knglish ornitliologisis, as Montavii and 
B. p, 1 18), The bird itself, however, says “ CuckdJi?,” 
thp learned writer admits that the oldest English spelling of 
me name seems to have been “ 
