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Mr. T. Gilbert Pearson,



This will be kept up without intermission until the intruder has

departed.


The Parasite.


The towhee has one unfortunate weakness —it allows itself

to be imposed upon by the cowbird. The happiness and prosperity

of many a towhee home is ruined by this dark destroyer of wild-bird

domestic life. The cowbird, which makes no nest of its own, often

lays one or more of its eggs in the towhee’s nest, where they are

allowed to remain. The young cowbird grows rapidly, and often

crowds some of the young towhees from the nest. Later, when the

young leave the nest together, we may sometimes see a mother -

towhee engaged in the care of a young cowbird-impostor while giving

attention to her own young.


Its Food.


Some birds in the world seem to feed entirely on fish. In

winter, spring, or summer, it matters not, they must have fish.

Should the ice form over their usual fishing-places they fly away to

where the water is open and fish may be obtained. There are other

birds who eat only insects. Often they are not choice in the kind

of insects they have, but almost any kind that has wings and can

fly these air-feeding birds seize and devour. Our towhee, however,

is nearly omnivorous. Edward Forbush, who has spent a great deal

of time finding out just what birds eat, tells us that towhees are

fond of ants and of a great variety of beetles. They also eat hairy

caterpillars in great numbers. Those found in the neighbourhood of

gardens, or of fields under cultivation, frequently flit along the

ground among the vegetables or grain in search of cabbage-worms,

potato-bugs, and such other small creatures, many of which are

destructive to crops.


It will thus be seen that the towhee is a very useful bird to

mankind, and should receive the most careful protection by every¬

one. In fact, in most states where this bird is found, it is protected

by law, and anyone found killing a towhee is liable to fine or im¬

prisonment, and it is right that this should be so. They eat also

such things as grasshoppers, cockroaches and flies, and perfectly

adore the long juicy bodies of earthworms. Down South, where

they go to pass the winter months, they have another habit of



