300 BC edit
May be of interest something from around 300 BC
From Salim Ali (1979) Azad Memorial Lecture
"The Indian Koel and its habit of brood-parasitism was well-known to the Vedic seers, and described unambiguously in Sanskrit literature. Interestingly enough, this appears also to be the earliest record of avian brood-parasitism, since it was described many centuries before Aristotle (384-322 B.C.) or his immediate colleagues or predecessors began to write about the European Cuckoo. "
temporarily in Google cache
Shyamal 11:25, 14 May 2004 (UTC)