
64 THE NATURAL HISTORY 
the nefts of the birds felected to receive her eges 
are to be found in great abundance ;. but, like 
the other migrating birds, fhe does not begin to 
lay till fome weeks after her arrival. 
The Cuckoo makes no neft of her own, for 
as fhe is a bird of paflage, and leaves this country 
the beginning of July, inftinct impels her to de. 
pofit her eggs in the nefts of other little birds, 
particularly in that of the hedge-fparrow, who 
rears them after her departure. 
When the young Cuckoo is hatched it throws 
all the eggs, and even its fellow-neftlings, out 
of the neft. The mode of doing this is very cu- 
rious. ‘The little animal with the affiftance of 
its rump and wings, contrives to get the bird 
upon its back, and making a refting place for 
the burden by elevating its elbows, clambers 
backward with it up the fide of the neft till it 
reaches the top, where taking breath for a mo- 
ment, it throws off its load with ajerk. It re. 
mains in this fituation a fhort time, feeling about 
with the ends of its wings, as if to be certain 
whether the bufinefs was done properly, and then 
drops into the neft again. It is wonderful to {ee 
the great exertions of the young Cuckoo, when 
it is two or three days old, if a bird be put. into 
the neft with it that is too weighty for it. to lif 
9 Out. 

