cow TROOPIAL, OR COW BLACK-BIRD. 183 



if they were ejected by the young Troopial. Indeed, as 

 far as I have had opportunity of observing, the foundling 

 shows no hostility to the natural brood of his nurses, but 

 he nearly absorbs their whole attention, and early displays 

 his characteristic cunning and self-possession. When 

 fully fledged, they quickly desert their foster-parent, and 

 skulk about in the woods, until, at length, they instinc- 

 tively join company with those of the same feather, and 

 now becoming more bold, are seen in parties of 5 or 6, 

 in the fields and lanes, gleaning their accustomed sub- 

 sistence. They still, however, appear shy and watchful, 

 and seem too selfish to study any thing more than their 

 own security and advantage. 



The egg of this bird is almost oval, scarcely larger 

 than that of the Blue-bird, thickly sprinkled with points 

 and confluent touches of olive brown, of two shades, some- 

 what more numerous at the greater end, on a white ground 

 tinged with green. But in some of these eggs the ground 

 is almost pure white, and the spots nearly black. 



The sonff of the Cow-bird is oruttural and unmusical, 

 uttered with an air of affectation, and accompanied by a 

 bristling of the feathers and a swelling of the body in the 

 manner of the Turkey. These are also all the notes of 

 the species in the season of their attachment ; so that 

 their musical talent rates lower than that of any other bird 

 perhaps in the genus. Sometimes the tones of the male 

 resemble the liquid clinking of the Bobolink and Red- 

 winged Black-bird. Sitting on the summit of a lofty 

 branch, he amuses himself perhaps for an hour with an 

 occasional 'kliicJc Usee, the latter syllable uttered in a 

 drawling hiss like that of the Red-wing >• accompanied 

 by his mates, he also endeavours to amuse them by his 

 complaisant chatter ; and watching attentively for their 

 safety, they flit together at the instant he utters the loud 



