THE CUCKOO. 
77 
with feathers. The curious part of this bird's history is 
the fact that the female does not build a nest ; but lays her 
eggs in that of another bird, generally the sparrow. 
The American Cuckoo, or Cow-bird, is quite different 
in its habits from the European Cuckoo, as it builds> a nest 
for its eggs, and hatches its young itself, like other birds. 
On the 18th June, 1787, Dr. Jenner examined a nest of 
a hedge-sparrow, which then contained a Cuckoo's and three 
hedge-sparrow's eggs. On inspecting it the day following, 
the bird had hatched; but the nest then contained only a 
young Cuckoo and one young hedge-sparrow. The nest 
was placed so near the extremity of a hedge, that he could 
distinctly see what was going forward in it; and, to his 
great astonishment, he saw the young Cuckoo, though so 
lately hatched, in the act of turning out the young hedge- 
sparrow. 
The mode of accomplishing this was curious : the little 
animal, with the assistance of its rump and wings, contrived 
to get the bird upon its back, and making a lodgment for 
its burden by elevating its elbows, climbed backward with 
it up the side of the nest, till it reached the top ; where, 
resting for a moment, it threw off its load with a jerk, and 
quite disengaged it from the nest. After remaining a short 
time in this situation, and feeling about with the extremities 
of its wings, as if to be convinced that the business was pro- 
perly executed, it dropped into the nest again. 
Dr. Jenner made several experiments in different nests, 
