264 CITIZEN BIRD 



the strange egg-, and perhaps be able to push it out 

 of the nest ; but more likely she takes no notice of 

 it, as it is so much like her own, and lets it stay. If 

 she does this, that egg is only the beginning of trouble. 

 It is larger than her own, so it gets more warmth and 

 hatches more quickly. Tlien the young Cowbird grows 

 so fast that it squeezes the little Sparrows dreadfully, 

 sometimes quite out of the nest, and eats so much that 

 they are half or wholly starved. The poor Sparrow 

 and her mate must sometimes think what a bisf child it 

 is ; but they feed it kindly until it can fly — sometimes 

 even after it leaves the nest. Then it goes back to 

 join the flock its tramp parents belong to, without so 

 much as saying 'thank you' to its foster parents. 



" A Cowbird lays only one egg in each nest, but 

 sometimes several visit the same nest in succession ; 

 and then the poor Sparrow has a hard time, indeed. 



" The Yellow AYarbler is one of the clever birds who 

 Avill not always be imposed upon — you remember the 

 two-storied nest we found ; and some of the larger birds 

 push out the strange egg. But Cowbirds are very 

 crafty, and usually select their victims from among the 

 small, feeble, and helpless." 



" Does this hateful Cowbird ever sing? " asked Dodo. 



" Sometimes in spring he tries to ; he squeaks a few 

 notes, and makes faces, struggling, choking, wheezing, 

 as if he had swallowed a beetle w^ith hooks on its legs 

 and was in great pain. It is a most startling noise, but 

 it certainly is not musical, though perhaps it • pleases 

 the Cowbird ladies ; for if they have such bad taste in 

 other ways, they doubtless like such harsh and inhar- 

 monious sounds. 



