
6 THE NATURAL HISTORY 
again, opprefied by the weight of its burdens. 
till at length, after various efforts, the ftrongeft 
"prevailed, and was afterwards brought up ’ the 
- hedge-{parrows. 
The circumftance of the young Cuckoo being 
deftined by nature to throw out the hedge-fpar. 
rows, points out’ why the ‘parent Cuckoo drops 
her egg in the nefts of fuch fmall birds. If the 
were’to do this in-the neft of a bird which pro. 
duced a large neftling, the young Cuckoo would 
probably find it impoffible to take pofleffion of 
the neft, as'its exertions would be unequal to the: 
labour of ‘turning out the young birds. Befides,. 
though many of the larger birds might have 
fed the neftling Cuckoo very. properly, had it 
been committed to their. charge, yet they could 
not have fuffered fuch a great number of their: 
own young to have been facrificed as the {maller 
ones, which are fo much more abundant; for we 
haveevery reafon to fuppofe that the nu De of neft.. 
lings deftroyed by the Cuckoo mutt be very large. 
Here it may be remarked, that though nature 
permits the young Cuckoo, to make this. great: 
wafte,. yet the. animals thus deftroyed are not 
thrown away or rendered ufclefs. At the feafon. 
when this happens, great numbers: of tender qua- _ 
drupeds and reptiles aré feeking provilion ; and 
ifs 

