male allowed me to remove him from the nest without protest whilst I satisfied myself of the two being there. In the majority of instances the female alone remains with young. When putting one's hand into the nest for investigation (which is always necessary owing to the total absence of light whence these observations are taken) the young open their mouths to be fed sufficiently wide to enable me to put my finger fully into their throats. 15th. Young are becoming very pugnacious, flapping at and pecking one's hand.
August 4th, 7 a.m.—Very windy. Both old and two young in nest. 10th. Young still in nest. 11th. The young left the nest previous to midday, and evidently remained on the wing throughout the remaining portion of the day. Time of young remaining within the nest: six weeks, six days. 12th. One Swift only at roost in nest. 19th. Swifts noticed in this locality for the last time, seemingly in their usual number. 23rd. One Swift seen in adjoining parish. 24th. Three together in another district two miles distant.—J. Steele-Elliott (Clent, Worcestershire).[1]
Cuckoo breeding in London District.—In connection with the note on this subject (ante, pp. 438–9), it may be of interest to record that on June 6th, 1896, I found a Whitethroat's nest containing four eggs, one of which was a Cuckoo's. This was in a hedge within a few yards of a public footpath, and close to Hampstead Heath. On May 23rd in the following year (1897), I found a Hedge-Sparrow's nest in the same locality with one egg of that bird and a Cuckoo's. The latter was not blue, and not unlike eggs of the Sedge-Warbler in colour. Both these Cuckoos' eggs were quite unlike each other. I believe that in the collection of Cuckoos' eggs, with the nests and eggs of the foster-parents, in the British Museum, those that are laid in Hedge-Sparrows' nests are not blue. In each of the above records the foster-parent was observed on the nest.—Basil W. Martin (Elm Lodge, Hampstead).
Observations on the Cuckoo in Aberdeen.—There was a continuation of the singing of this bird (Cuculus canorus) up to July 15th. As near as could be estimated there were about ten young ones seen about my farm; certainly an increase as regards former years. They exhibited a variety of colours, from blue to rufous. A young one, which was rufous, with a large white spot on the crown of the head, was handled on June 17th. This one had either removed from the nest to be sheltered from the rain, or had flown from the nest in sunshine, and then had become unable to fly through the heavy rains accompanying a thunderstorm on the date mentioned. Its feathers seemed quite sufficiently grown for flying, but these birds are evidently much influenced by wet, especially if the weather becomes cold at the same time. I noticed, during cold days on and about Aug. 4th, that some young ones chirped on continually; in fact, their cries were pitiable.
- ↑ See further remarks in The Zoologist, 4th series, vol 5 (1901), p. 473–474. (Wikisource-ed.)
