INDIGO BUNTING 89 



containing one cowbird and two bunting eggs. Rarely, as Friedmann 

 (1929) reports, a cowbird will lay her egg in the nest of a bunting 

 already containing young. 



Trautman (1940) graphically presents the susceptibility of this 

 species to visitations from the cowbird. He states that out of 16 

 nests examined, 5 contained three eggs or young each of the indigo 

 bunting; 3 contained three eggs or young of this species and a cowbird 

 egg or young each; 6 contained four eggs or young each of the indigo 

 bunting; and 2 contained four eggs or young of this species and a 

 cowbird egg or young each. On more than 10 occasions Trautman 

 observed indigo buntings feeding cowbird fledglings out of the nest. 



T. S. Roberts (1943), under a discussion of the cowbird, states that 

 the indigo bunting may "bury the Cowbird egg or eggs by buUding a 

 new floor in the nest." He also gives an interesting account of the 

 female's reaction to a cowbird's egg, saying: "Attention was directed 

 to an Indigo Bimting's nest by the constant chipping and great 

 agitation of the female, in which the male joined to a lesser extent. 

 The female went repeatedly to the nest, which was low down in a 

 gooseberry bush, and, after looking in, returned each time to the 

 lower limbs of an overhanging tree, displaying the greatest alarm and 

 distress. Examination showed that the nest contained two eggs of 

 the owner and a Cowbird's egg. It was suspected that the Cowbird's 

 egg had just been deposited and was causing the disturbance. It was 

 removed, and after the next visit and inspection by the worried little 

 bird, the fussing and excitement subsided at once." 



A. D. DuBois wrote Air. Bent of finding a nest that contained two 

 cowbird eggs, but no eggs of the indigo bunting. He adds, "No eggs 

 of 'indigo' had been added when revisited 5 days later." W. T. 

 Allen (1881) mentions a case where "The cow-bird had apparently 

 deposited an egg in their nest before it was quite finished, whereupon 

 the owner built a new bottom so as to leave the obtruded egg enclosed 

 between the two and proceeded to lay its own eggs on top." 



Plumages and molts. — The definitive work on this subject was 

 published by Dwight in 1900. Chapman's brief discussion (1911) 

 generally agrees with Dwight's descriptions. Contrary to the usual 

 situation in male fringUlids, the male indigo has at least five recog- 

 nizable plumages. The brownish mouse-gray natal down is replaced 

 through a complete postnatal molt by the ju venal plumage. This 

 plumage is characterized by being dark brown above, and by having 

 a pale clove-brown tail faintly edged with greenish or glaucous blue. 

 Underparts are dull white, narrowly streaked with sepia on the breast 

 and sides. The bill and feet are pinkish buff; with age the former 

 becomes dusky and the latter black. 



