4 
66 THE NATURAL HISTORY 
| again, opprefled by. the weight of its burden's: 
__. till at length, ‘after various efforts, the Rrongeft ) 
prevailed, and was afterwards brought fp by a 
| hedge- {partows. 
The circumftance of the young Cuckoo being. 
deftined by nature to throw out the hedge-fpar- 
TOWs, points out why the parent Cuckoo drops” 
her egg in the nefts of fuch {mall birds. If the 
“were to do this in the neft of a bird which prow 
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 fmaller: 
‘ones, which are fo much more abundant; for we 
‘haveevery reafon to juppofe thatthe ibe of neft-._ 
Tings deftroyed by the Cuckoo muft'be very large. 
Here it may be remarked, that ‘though’ nature ~ 
permits the young Cuckoo to ‘make this great 
4 
‘waite, yet the animals: thus deftroyed ‘ate not 
: thrown away or rencered ufelefs.. At the feafon. 
when this happens, great numbers of tender qua-— 
drupeds and reptiles are feeking provifion ; and: 
