78 Mr. W. C. Hewitson on Recent Discoveries 
tenements of Pica mauritanica and Athene meridionalis. In this 
view I am borne out by my companions Mr. 0. Salvin and 
Mr. W. H. Simpson. We all devoted much time and care to 
the solution of this Cuckoo’s habits, and never found it laying 
its eggs in a nest already occupied. 
“ On one occasion one of our Arabs came and told me he had 
found a nest of the ‘ Burroo Burroo ’ (its local name) in the 
forest. I accompanied him to the spot. The male bird took 
flight from a branch of an adjoining tree; and in the top of a 
gnarled old terebinth, where a branch had at some period been 
rent from the trunk and formed a cavity, I espied a nest like 
that of the little owl (certainly not that of a magpie), and pro¬ 
truding therefrom the long tail-feathers of my friend. She flew 
screaming off, and I found left two eggs, set rather hard. On 
another occasion a nest of four eggs, fresh, was brought us. We 
found but this one nest of four eggs, one of three, two nests of 
two each, and two of one each. I have been somewhat prolix 
on this question because our experience is so different from 
that of Dr. Brehm. A friend has suggested that perhaps the 
Cuckoo, before depositing her eggs, ejects those of the rightful 
occupant. 
“ It is fair to add, that on unpacking our collections some 
months after, it was found that a few days before discovering 
the Great Spotted Cuckoo’s nest we had placed two of its eggs 
along with two undoubtedly those of Pica mauritanica , and la¬ 
beled them as being all of the latter bird, and of one nest. 
These four eggs appear by our notes to have been broug*ht in 
by our Arabs, and it is quite possible they may have placed the 
eggs of two nests, which they took to be of the same species, 
together, to save themselves trouble in bringing them home; and 
that we, who did not value the magpie’s eggs, had stowed them 
away without any particular observation. 
“ C. glandarius has three notes : a call-note something like 
that of C. canorus, probably used by the male; its cry of alarm, 
something between that of the Jay and the Boiler; and its third 
note, ( Wurree Wurree/ from which it doubtless derives its 
Arab name, just as the common Cuckoo is called by them 
i Tookook .’ ” 
