THE CUCKOO
[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.]
SIR,—There is no doubt in anyone's mind that the eggs of the cuckoo vary considerably in size and colour nor that they generally assimilate in size and colour to the eggs of their hostess. It is, however, a large order upon our credulity to accept the German naturalist's statement that " the cuckoo is able to colour her eggs so that they will match the eggs of the foster parent," if this entails the matching of one cuckoo's eggs to those of several foster parents. Figurez-sous ! a cuckoo finding a hedgesparrow's nest and saying to herself, " This must be a blue egg and small," then laying one to match those there ; then approaching a yellowhammer's nest and selecting from her ovary a larger and a grey-streaked specimen, then.a sandy egg to suit the robin's ova ; and so on through all the possibles ! Surely it is simpler to suppose that each hen cuckoo is only capable of producing eggs of some approxima- tion in colour and size to those of the foster parent who was responsible for her own upbringing. This would give a heredi- tary habit which would tend to the production of eggs nearer and nearer to the desired likeness.
It is, of course, possible that the German naturalist's state- ment does not imply that each cuckoo can vary her eggs at
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