A MIDSUMMER EXCURSION 265 



" I don't see what makes them act so," said Rap. " I 

 thought birds had to buikl nests, or have a hole or a bit 

 of ground or rock of their own — that it was a hiw." 



" So it is, my boy ; but the Cowbird is one of the 

 exceptions I tokl you about ; and I am glad to say 

 there are very few." 



The Cowbird 



Length about seven and a half inches. 



Male : very glossy black, excepting the head and neck, which 

 are shiny dark brown like burnt coffee. 



Female : dusky brown, the lower parts lighter than the upper. 



A Citizen of the entire United States. 



A Ground Gleaner and a Weed Warrior, to some extent, but a 

 bad neighbor, a worse parent, a homeless vagabond, and an outlaw 

 in Birdland. • 



ON AGAIN 



The road crept down hill, passed through a village, 

 and then into the Avoods once more. The children saAV 

 a great many bird friends — Swallows, Goldfinches, a 

 beautiful Blue Jay, which was new to them, and some 

 Yellow Warblers. They stopped for half an hour in the 

 wooded lane, where a Chat whistled to them, a Scarlet 

 Tanager flew hastily overhead, and the Doctor showed 

 them a Towhee rambling among the leaves, while a little 

 brownish bird kept flitting into the air and back to his 

 perch, calling "pewee — pe-a-r ! " in a sad voice. 



"What's that?" asked Rap ; '' it's a bird I often see 

 near the mill, catching flies on tlie wing." 



" It is called the Wood Pewee," said the Doctor ; 

 "when we come back tliis afternoon we will stop, and 

 I will try to find its nest to show you. We must go 

 on now." 



