154- 



therefore it is very common to find eggs and young birds 

 in the nest at once or young varying greatly in size. 



Our cuckoos do not lay their eggs in nests of other birds, 

 but always build their own nests. European Cuckoos, 

 which belong to a different genus, do not build nests but lay 

 their eggs in nests of other birds. Much confusion exists 



Fig. 131. BLACK-BILL'S NEST AMONG BRIERS. 



on this subject because writers getting their ideas from 

 English books speak of the Cuckoo as a parasite and even 

 school teachers often ignorantly inform their pupils of this 

 fact which is not true concerning our birds. The only bird- 

 parasite we have is the Cowbird. 



I have included Cuckoos under "Birds of Silence" be- 



