of the United States of America, 71 



The cow bunting remained until the morning of the first of 

 August, when it departed. It will be perceived that it was 

 eleven days old. With a view of examining the bunting, I 

 sought for it among the bushes, without success ; but I had 

 the luck of discovering the young indigo bird, which was 

 perched upon a limb of a small poplar, about 3 ft. from the 

 ground ; and it had evidently been in this secure place for 

 some time, as the leaves below it were soiled with its excre- 

 ments. The old indigo birds, on perceiving that I had found 

 their young, enticed it away, and I saw it no more. 



On the 5th of August, I saw the cow bunting. It was in 

 the company of its foster-parents ; and it flew with ease. 



Finally, on the 4th of August, I discovered another nest of 

 the indigo bird. It was built in a chestnut shrub ; and was 

 canopied with a thick growth of leaves, so that it could hardly 

 be perceived. It contained two indigo birds, and a cow bunt- 

 ing, about three days old, as their eyes were beginning to 

 unclose. No accident whatever happened to this brood; 

 and on the 10th the two indigo birds left the nest. The next 

 morning they were followed by the cow bunting. 



Not to fatigue the reader with any further details on the 

 subject of this anomalous bird, I shall close my observations 

 with the following summary: — 



First : There are sometimes two eggs of the cow bunting de- 

 posited in the same nest. 

 Secondly : The cow bunting sometimes drops her egg in the 



nest of a bird larger than herself. 

 Thirdly : The egg of the cow bunting requires the same term 



of incubation as that of the foster-parent. 

 Fourthly : The eggs of the foster-parent are never removed 



from the nest, but hatch as in ordinary cases. 

 Fifthly : When two eggs of the cow bunting are hatched in 



the nest of a bird smaller than herself, the young of the 



foster-bird, for the want of room, are either smothered in 



the nest, or jostled out of it. 

 Sixthly : When only one egg of the cow bunting is hatched 



in the nest of a bird smaller than herself, the young cow 



bird, and the young of the owner of the nest, are nourished 



and reared with equal affection, and dwell in harmony 



together. 

 Seventhly : When the cow bunting drops her egg in the nest 



of a bird larger than herself, the selected nurse does not 



eject the egg, but hatches the stranger, and nourishes it as 



her own. 

 Eighthly : The cow bunting will drop her egg into a nest 



which contains more than one egg. 

 Buckingham, Pennsylvania, Sept. 20. 1835. 



