North American Birds Eggs. 



237 



STARLINGS. Family STURNID/E. 



[493. J Starling. Stiintus nih/arls. 



Hant;e.— A European species which has casually been 

 taken in Greenland. It was liberated a number of years 

 afi:o in Central Park, New York City, and has now be- 

 come abundant there and is spreading slowly in all 

 directions. 



They build their nests in all sorts of locations such as 

 are used by the p]nglish Sparrow, wherever they can find 

 a sufficiently large crevice or opening; less often they 

 build their nests in trees, making them of straw, twigs I I'.luish (irecii.) 



and trash. They lay from four to six pale bluish green eggs; size 1.15 x .85. 

 Two broods are reared in a season. 



BLACKBIRDS, ORIOLES, ETC. Family ICTERID/E. 



494. Bobolink. Ddliclionijx orijzirorun. 



Range. — Eastern North America, breeding from New Jersey north to Nova 

 Scotia and Manitoba, and west to Utah and Nevada; winters in South America. 

 This black and white bird is well known in the east, where 

 his sweet, wild music, often uttered on the wing, is much ad- 

 mired. He sings all day long during May and June to his 

 Sparrow-like mate who is sitting on her nest concealed in the 

 meadow grass. They are quite sociable birds and several 

 pairs often nest in the same field, generally a damp meadow; 

 the nests are hollows in the ground, lined with grass and 

 frequently with the top slightly arched to conceal the eggs, which are grayish 

 white, clouded, spotted and blotched with brownish, gray and lilac; size .84 x .62. 

 Thev number from four to six and are laid in June. 



[Grayish White 



H^\ 



495. Cowbird. Molofhnis atcr. 



Range.— North America from the Atlantic to eastern California, and from New 

 Brunswick and Manitoba southward; winters from the southern half of the 

 United States southward. 



These uncivilized members of the bird world build no 

 nests for themselves, Itut slyly deposit their egg in the nest 

 of some other bird from the size of a Robin down, probably 

 the greater number being in Warblers and Sparrows nests; 

 the eggs are hatched and the young cared for by the un- 

 fortunate birds upon which they are thrust. The eggs are 

 white, spotted and specked all over, more or less stronglj' 

 with brown and yellowish brown; size .85 x .64. 



f White.] 



495a. Dwarf Cowbird. Molofhrus ater obsruru-s. 



Range. — Southwestern United States and Mexico, wintering south of our bor- 

 ders. 



This variety is like the last, but slightly smaller. The nesting habits of the 

 two are identical and the eggs are indistinguishable. It is believed that Cow- 

 birds do more damage to the smaller birds than all other dangers combined, as 

 their young being larger and stronger either crowd or smother the other young 

 or else starve them by getting most of the food brought to the nest. 



