Origin of Species Variorum

→ OMIT 1869 1872

could be, and 1859 1860 1861 1866

→ It has, also, recently been ascertained that the cuckoo occasionally lays her eggs on the bare ground, sits on them and feeds her young; this rare and strange event evidently is a case of reversion to the long-lost aboriginal instinct of nidification. 1869

I may add that, according to Dr. Gray and to some other observers, the European cuckoo has not utterly lost all maternal love and care for her own offspring. 1859 1860 1861

I may add that, according to Dr. Gray and some other observers, the European cuckoo has not utterly lost all maternal love and care for her own offspring. 1866

↑ 2 blocks not present in 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869; present in 1872

It has, also, recently been ascertained on sufficient evidence, by Adolf Müller, that the cuckoo occasionally lays her eggs on the bare ground, sits on them, and feeds her young. This rare event is probably a case of reversion to the long-lost, aboriginal instinct of nidification.

→ OMIT 1869 1872

by some authors 1866

→ adaptations 1869

points of structure 1866

adaptations of structure 1872

→ known only in 1869

or character known in only 1866

known to us only in 1872

→ no 1866 1869

hitherto had no 1872

→ OMIT 1869

referred to 1866

to be referred to 1872

→ size, 1869

that it does 1866

OMIT 1872

→ a bird about one-fourth as large as 1869 1872

a bird not more than one-fourth of the size of 1866

→ the small size of the egg 1869 1872

this 1866

→ full-sized eggs. 1869 1872

eggs of full size proportionally with her body. 1866

→ maintained, is a beneficent arrangement, 1869

maintained, is beneficently designed, 1866

called a beneficent arrangement, 1872

→ they have 1869

as it is supposed, they have 1866

they had 1872

to lay their eggs in other

birds'

birds

nests, and thus be

successful

more successful

in rearing their young. By a continued process of this nature, I believe that the strange instinct of our cuckoo →OMIT has

been,

been

generated. →It has, also, recently been ascertained that the cuckoo occasionally lays her eggs on the bare ground, sits on them and feeds her young; this rare and strange event evidently is a case of reversion to the long-lost aboriginal instinct of nidification. ↑

It has been objected →OMIT that I have not noticed other related instincts and →adaptations in the cuckoo, which are

~~falsely~~

falsely

spoken of as necessarily co-ordinated. But in all cases, speculation on

any

instinct →known only in a single species, is useless, for we have →no facts to guide us. Until

~~quite~~

quite

recently the instincts of the European and of the non-parasitic American cuckoo alone were known; now, owing to Mr.

Ramsay's

Ramsay

observations, we

have learnt

know

something about three Australian species, which lay their eggs in other

birds'

birds

nests. The chief points →OMIT are three:

firstly,

first,

that the

common cuckoo,

cuckoo,

with rare exceptions, lays only one egg in a nest, so that the large and voracious young

cuckoo

bird

bird may

receives

receive

ample food. Secondly, that the

egg

eggs

is so

are

are of

remarkably

small,

small

→size, not

exceed in

exceeding

size that

those

of the skylark,—a →a bird about one-fourth as large as the

cuckoo;

cuckoo.

that

That

→the small size of the egg is a real case of adaptation we may infer from the fact of the non-parasitic American cuckoo laying →full-sized eggs.

Thirdly

Thirdly,

and lastly,

....

that the young cuckoo, soon after birth, has the instinct, the strength, and a properly shaped back for ejecting its foster-brothers, which then perish from cold and hunger.

This

This,

has been boldly →maintained, is a beneficent arrangement, in order that the young cuckoo may get sufficient food, and that its foster-brothers may

perish,

perish

before,

before

→they have acquired much

feeling!

feeling.

Turning now to the Australian species; though these