2 3 

 they huddle down deep into the domicile with their beaks pro- 

 truding above the rim, and their little bright eyes blinking and 

 carefully noting the intruder's every movement, If the hand is 

 piaced near the nest at this period of their growth, they will 

 scramble out and flutter away, all giving vent to their chipping 

 note, which brings down upon the intruder the wrath of both 

 old birds, who fly close his face, snapping their beaks and chip- 

 ping loudly ; then down upon the ground they fall and feign 

 the broken wing act as long as one of the young continues to 

 chirp. 



On June 9, 1901, I found a nest containing three young 

 warblers and one of the Cowbird old enough to leave their 

 home. Using great care I broke down the briers and parted 

 the grass near the nest and was just ready to place my 

 camera in position when away went the nestlings. 



The commotion brought the old birds upon the scene, and 

 for some minutes quite a din was kept up which brought 

 Scarlet Tanagers, Vireos, Towhees, Kentucky Warblers and 

 other birds to the vicinity. I placed the young back in the 

 nest and kept my hand over them a moment until they became 

 quiet, and again attempted to take a picture, but the 

 birds scrambled away again. I missed a picture showing the 

 way the young Cowbird jostles down into the centre of the 

 nest, leaving the warblers to find room around the edge or 

 fall overboard. These young birds could fly a short distance, 

 and one which flew from my hand, lit on a dead branch three 

 feet from the ground, and settled down in the usual way. Ad- 

 justing my camera I soon had his picture which is used in 

 Plate IV of this paper. 



The sexes can be recognized, the young males having two 

 rather pronounced buffy bars on the wings, corresponding to 

 the bright golden bars on the adult males. 



