Origin of Species Variorum

→ or not domed 1866

OMIT 1869 1872

→ to 1866

in colour to 1869 1872

→ had she 1866

Had our cuckoo 1869 1872

↑ 3 blocks not present in 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869; present in 1872

In the case of the European cuckoo, the offspring of the foster-parents are commonly ejected from the nest within three days after the cuckoo is hatched; and as the latter at this age is in a most helpless condition, Mr. Gould was formerly inclined to believe that the act of ejection was performed by the foster-parents themselves. But he has now received a trustworthy account of a young cuckoo which was actually seen, whilst still blind and not able even to hold up its own head, in the act of ejecting its foster-brothers. One of these was replaced in the nest by the observer, and was again thrown out.

→ last point insisted on— namely, of the 1866

OMIT 1869

laid,

laid

~~by her,~~

by her,

so as to have deceived certain foster-parents, or, as is more probable, to have been hatched within

some

shorter period (for it is asserted that there is a relation between

~~the~~

the

size

~~of eggs~~

of eggs

and the period of

their incubation),

incubation),

then there is no difficulty in believing that a race or species might have been formed which would have laid smaller and smaller eggs; for these would have been more safely hatched and reared. Mr. Ramsay remarks that two of the Australian cuckoos, when they lay their eggs in an open →or not domed nest, manifest a decided preference for nests containing eggs similar →to their own. The European species

apparently

certainly

manifests some tendency towards a similar instinct, but not rarely departs from it, as is shown by her laying her dull and pale-coloured eggs in the nest of the Hedge-warbler with

~~its~~

its

bright greenish-blue

eggs.

eggs:

→had she invariably displayed the above instinct, it would assuredly have been added to those which it is assumed must all have been acquired together. The eggs of the Australian Bronze cuckoo vary, according to Mr. Ramsay,

an extraordinary

degree

manner

in colour; so that in this respect, as well as in size, natural selection

~~assuredly~~

assuredly

might have secured and fixed any advantageous variation. ↑

With

reference

respect

to the →last point insisted on— namely, of the young European cuckoo ejecting its

foster-brothers—

fosterbrothers—

must first be remarked that Mr. Gould, who has paid particular attention to this subject, is convinced that the belief is an error; he asserts that the young foster-birds are generally ejected during the first three days, when the young cuckoo is quite

powerless;

power less;

he maintains that the young cuckoo exerts, by its hunger-cries, or by some other means, such a fascination over its foster-parents, that it alone receives food, so that the others are starved to death, and are then thrown out, like the egg-shells or the excrement, by the old