Page:The Zoologist, 4th series, vol 2 (1898).djvu/303

Rh the question how far each Cuckoo is influenced by the peculiarities of the birds which rear it? I described the pugnacious habits of the one found in the nest of the Twite, in common with its kind when approached by man, and my last visit to the nest found the young Cuckoo able to fly when I picked it up and replaced it in the nest. The following morning the nest was empty, and two days later a bird which might be reasonably supposed to be the same Cuckoo was found perched on a willow about one-fourth of a mile from the nest, and alongside a Wood Pigeon which was nesting on the same tree. The Cuckoo, on being taken into the finder's hands and released, went back to its place by the Pigeon's nest. Did the Pigeon assist it in any way with its food? It certainly did not find fault with the Cuckoo as a neighbour, and it is clear that the Cuckoo at least valued the companionship, whatever benefit that might have conferred. Another question now arises, would the foster-parents follow up and support the bird as they do their own young when they leave the nest? or do the parent Cuckoos or any of them take any immediate charge of the young at this stage? Again, how do they commence to gather food for themselves? As they are supposed to require nearly all their time in the adult state to pick up the necessary food for their support in our climate, it seems to me that there must be some provision in nature more or less peculiar to the species for providing for their support from the time they leave the nest until they are capable of adequately attending to themselves. In the case noticed there were no signs of the presence of the foster-parents when the young Cuckoo was found in company with the Pigeon. The Mountain Linnet is rather demonstrative when anything calculated to disturb its young occurs, and its absence in this case would favour the idea of the duties having been concluded, although they keep close to their own young for some time after they are able to fly about. Then how do young Cuckoos proceed in leaving us? The last incidents to which I have referred occurred about the middle of July, after Cuckoos were mute; but I noticed at least one adult after that date. I have never heard in what way they leave us, whether solitary or in company. The young and adults have both to migrate from us, while there are only adults to come to us in spring. Would those which are hatched in any place return to it or its neighbourhood the following year? or would the birds in general have a tendency to retain through life their first haunts, or would they be indifferent to this? Of course they follow certain physical aspects of the country, as, for example, they frequent young plantations, these yielding abundance of food.— (Alford, Aberdeen).

Kites in Wales.—A few days after reading Mr. J.H. Salter's paper in 'The Zoologist' (ante, p. 198) entitled "Ornithological Notes from MidWales," I chanced to open a volume of 'Blackwood' for 1830. From an article headed "An Excursion over the Mountains to Aberystwith," I make