284 Life-histories of Northern Animals 



sometimes on it, sometimes on the nearest land, but always 

 moving when it moved, and recognizing it as headquarters. 



The cowbird {Molothrus ater) is a well-known member of 

 the Starling family. It is peculiar in this — it never mates, 

 makes a nest, or brings up its own young. Free love is its 

 habit; and, when the female is ready to lay, she searches for 

 the nest of some small bird, and in it abandons her offspring to 

 a foundling's chances with a strange foster-mother. Then — 

 back she hikes to the merry group that lives and revels around 

 the Buffalo herd. Sometimes the cowbirds walk sedately 

 behind their grazing monster; sometimes they flit over snap- 

 ping at flies; often they sit in a line along the ridge-pole of his 

 spine. Their attachment to the Buffalo was so close that an 

 Indian myth tells of their nesting in the wool between the horns 

 of the big bull — rather a fearsome home-site, one would think, 

 during a combat of the bull with some huge rival. But there 

 are some foundations for the myth. First, they do not nest 

 elsewhere; furthermore, I am told by "old timers" that 

 skulls of Buffalo, still clad in their black shock of hair, were 

 often used by little birds as nesting-places. 



One more incident: In the park at Silver Heights, near 

 Winnipeg, is a herd of a dozen Buffalo. All summer they are 

 followed by the usual flock of cowbirds, which fly southward 

 when cold weather arrives. But when the autumn of 1900 

 came, one stayed when the others left. All through that 

 Manitoba winter it remained with the Buffalo, especially with 

 the biggest bull of the herd. Its food was of the Buffalo's 

 food; by day it flitted near or warmed its toes in the wool of 

 the animal's back; by night, it snuggled on a sort of hollow 

 it had made in the wool just behind his horns. The Buffalo 

 was protector of the bird against famine, frost, and the attacks 

 of both animal and human foes; for he was so fierce that 

 none dared go near him, even to inspect more closely the 

 cowbird that had committed itself to his charge. This inci- 

 dent is attested by Dr. S. J. Thompson, the veterinary of the 

 Province, by George Grieve, the taxidermist, and by T. A. 

 Prescott, the keeper. 



