THE ORIOLES, BLACKBIRDS. CROWS. AM) JAYS. 



163 



than the rightful occupants ; it is larger than they, as the 

 hosts are almost invariably smaller than cow-birds, — warblers, 

 vireos, etc. Thus the young cow-bird is able to grow rapidly, 

 and williiii (wo or three days is so much ahead of his foster- 

 brothers and -sisters that he gets all the (bod and they die. 

 it appears to be the rule that a co\v-bird"s L^i^i^ laid in a nest 

 ruins the hopes of the birds that built it. Every young cow- 

 bird is reared at the expense of anywhere from two to five 

 other birds, each of which is of more vahie than he. This 

 makes cow-birds costly. Whatever benefits we derive from 

 their food habits are more than overcome by their parasitic 

 habits. 



sv P' 4r, 



17//' 



THE BOBOLINK. 

 {After Biuluijical lynrvey.) 



In th(^ northeast quarter of the United States, it is safi^ to 

 assert, there is no more popular bird among country folk than 

 the Bobolink. He announces his connng by a shower of 

 melody from the clouds. For a fortnight lie revels in bachelor 

 freedom, in glor'ions apple-blossoms, and pours foi'lli a flood 



