FOSTER-MO TJz[ERS. I 2 5 



the warmth of her body, and hatches a day or two 

 before the others, or if they hatch at the same time, 

 the bio: strano:er needs so much more food that the 

 real children are in danger of being but half fed. 



It is a sad story, is it not ? The lazy Cowbird 

 mother shirks all the work which we praise birds for 

 doing. She makes no nest, she takes no pains to feed 

 and protect her young. All her life she simply eats 

 and sleeps and looks about her for some smaller bird 

 whom she can deceive. 



The pleasant part of the story is the kindness of 

 the poor Redstart mother to her foster-child. She has 

 probably lost her own brood, but instead of pecking 

 the stranger to death, she feeds him, working day 

 after day over him till he is big enough to fly away, 

 which he does without a word of thanks. 



Do you wonder how the Cowbird came by so odd 

 a name ? Like most bird names, some habit of the 

 bird suggested it. These birds are often seen in 

 small flocks following cattle in pastures. It does not 

 require great shrewdness to guess that it is not the 

 cows, biat the insects to be found upon them in warm 

 weather, that attract the birds. If they do service to 

 the cattle, w^e are glad to give them credit, but it is said, 

 on good authority, that every Cowbird means the loss 

 of a whole brood of Redstarts, Yellow Warblers, Vireos, 

 or other birds of which we cannot have too many. 



