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Mr. G. A. Rowell in a Lecture communication on my work read before the Ash. Soc. on Monday Nov November 12th 1860 says Cuckoo eggs are about same size as Larks, a bird not more than 1/4 size of Cuckoo; & file tree less must be due to N. selection. Remarks that the laying at intervals of 2 or 3 days strange as eggs so small there can be no drain on constitution — Concludes immediate & final cause of cuckoos instinct is that young may be supported by sole care of foster parents.— (Yet N. american cuckoos support their young.) Cuckoos eggs hatched rather before generally the first, yet large birds eggs generally require longer time than small.— Young eject foster brother — asks how accounted for, simple selection.— Advance facts to shows that young Cuckoo acts as if very ferocious & is very bold, as mentioned by White Selbourne.—

Conclude that "the peculiar habit of Cuckoo as one of those variations, which when taken in aggregate, affords such a wide field for the reflective faculties of mankind". Curious to speculate how many millions young Cuckoos & young Molothrus have perished that the creationist now might blunder over an explanation. — Ch X—