Meadow Pipit, and that she had some excellent though recondite motive for so doing. To others I leave the responsibility of explaining away an apparently singular aberration on the part of a species which, according to some people, is "knowing" even to the extent of being able to diversify the colouring of its eggs to suit the exigencies of each recurring situation! But, apart from all speculation on the issues raised, it is impossible not to recognize that the discovery of a perfectly fresh Cuckoo's egg alongside a Meadow Pipit's egg on the very point of hatching must be a matter of no small interest to scientific ornithologists, since, so far as I am aware, nothing of the kind has ever been before recorded; while far from tending to elucidate anything in connection with the economy of the species, the incident, if not to be dismissed as a lapsus on the part of an undiscerning Cuckoo, seems to me to involve a most perplexing economy in still deeper mystery.—H.S. Davenport (Melton Mowbray).
Cuckoos in 1898.—It seems clear that some peculiarity exists at the present time here connected with calls upon the services of the Mountain Linnet (Linota flavirostris) as foster-birds. Following up my observations since my last communication, I observed another young Cuckoo on an adjoining moor on July 30th. I was attracted to it by the peculiar " cheep " of this young bird, which of course was away from the nest. Its entreaties were evidently directed towards its foster-parents, and on changing its position from the sloping ground where it was when it first saw me to the branch of a willow bush, where it clung tenaciously, the Mountain Linnets were both promptly in attendance. We may assume that they were the foster-birds, and their interest in the young Cuckoo was equal to anything which I have observed by these birds in that direction when looking after their own young after these have left the nest. These three were seen near the same place in similar form on Aug. 8th. Another young one made its appearance on my hay-field on Aug. 6th; the peculiar "cheep" drew attention to it, and it seemed to have just recently taken to flight. It was not the rufous one mentioned in my last communication, being of a dark blue colour. This bird may be thus considered another of this year, and had the same species of birds for foster-parents. As hay-making operations were being executed at the time, ample opportunities occurred for observing the movements of this individual, which was seen daily up to Aug. 12th; sometimes being under cover, sometimes appearing in graceful flight, perching on an adjoining bush, the fences of the field, or on the implements. It seemed to become acquainted with our movements, and it occurred to me that the nature of the flies and such like was the attraction which kept this one so closely amongst us. We neither saw it taking food itself, nor being fed by the foster-parents, but the latter were always in attendance; and a
