230 CONIROSTRES. 



the wind, and varying its shape every moment ; 

 sometimes snddenly rising from the fields around 

 him with a noise like thunder, then descending like 

 a torrent and covering the branches of some de- 

 tached grove or clump of trees, the whole congre- 

 gated multitude commenced a chorus which he could 

 plainly distinguish at the distance of more than two 

 miles. They arrive in Pennsylvania in the begin- 

 ning of March in immense flocks, and commence 

 their attack on the grubs, caterpillars, and other 

 larvae ; for these they search in the ground at the 

 roots of plants, in orchards and meadows, as well as 

 among buds, leaves, and blossoms ; and from their 

 known voracity, the multitudes of insects destroyed 

 by them must be immense. During August and 

 September they pour down on the low countries 

 near the coast in prodigious multitudes, wheeling 

 and driving over the devoted cornfields, and filling 

 the air with their numbers. Then commences the 

 work of destruction on the corn, till little is left for 

 the industrious husbandman, and on the seeds of 

 the reeds and wild oats, and other plants that abound 

 on the banks of the great rivers. In April they 

 separate in pairs to begin their family preparations. 

 The nest is sometimes placed among the high grass 

 of a watery meadow, or in a tussock of rushes in a 

 marsh, but more frequently about six or eight feet 

 from the, ground in a thicket of alders, or in a 

 detached bush. The exterior is formed of rushes 

 and long tough grass twined securely around the 

 neighbouring twigs, to prevent its falling from its 

 flexible support : a similar precaution is used when 

 the nest is made amongst rushes. When placed on 

 the ground, less care is necessary, and fewer mate- 

 rials are employed, the nest being much lighter and 

 more simple : the lining is of fine bent. The female 

 deposits five eggs. 



The Cow-pen Bird, or Cow Bunting (Molothrus* hona- 



* j.io\i~iv. molein, to trrmsjAant ; from the habit of depositing 

 its eo-gs in the nests of other birds. 



