6^2 



Home Nature-Study Course. 



The Cow Bird. — This lazy rascal usually appears in small flocks, haunting 

 pastures where there are cattle and also striding about lawns and meadows. The 

 male has head, neck and breast coffee color, the rest of the plumage being black. 

 The female is brownish-gray. The ordinary note is a long, squeak followed by 

 Iwo short notes. When in flocks they also chatter noisily. The cow birds are 

 unpleasant to look upon and to hear, for their true character as parasites seems to 

 show in their demeanor. The mother cow bird is a thief of the worst type, since 

 she steals for the young the attention and aft'ection of the mothers of other young 

 birds. She lays her egg in the nest of some other bird and the big nestling as 

 soon as hatched either gets all the food thus starving the rightful nestlings or 

 smothers them. A list of ninety-one species has been given in whose nests cow 

 bhd eggs have been found. Not the least of the unconscious sins of the English 

 sparrow is that it raises so many cow birds to prey upon our useful song birds. 

 The broun head and neck distinguish the cow bird from the other black birds. 



LESSON LXXVI. 



THE HABITS OF BLACKBIRDS. 



Purpose. — To make the pupils acquainted with the different species of 



black birds and their habits. 



This lesson should be in 

 the form of a written or oral 

 exercise in English and may 

 embody the results of reading 

 or observation. The following 

 topics are suggested : 



(i). Cow birds, their mi- 

 grations and nesting habits. 



(2). The red-wing 



black 

 where thev 



birds, how and 

 brild their nests? 



(3). The story of a cow 

 bird/ 



(4). An account of rela- 

 tives of black birds. 



(5). Are the black birds 

 beneficial to the farmer and 

 fruit-grower? 



Rrfcrruccs for i, 2. 3 and 

 4 are: "IJird Neighbors," 

 Dlanchan ; "IMrds of Eastern 

 North America," Chapman: 

 " Birds of \'illage and F'eld," 

 Merriam : "Guide to the lUrds," Hoffman; "First and Second Book of 

 Birds," Miller. For 5 see " Farmers' Bulletin No. 54. l\ S. Department 

 of Agriculture"; "Birds in their Relation to Man," Weed and Dearborn. 



Photo by Verne Morton 



Ess of coivhird in nest of field sparrow. 



