THE BLACKBIRD FAMILY 99 
Most little birds — warblers and finches— ac- 
cept the charge. They hatch out the strange 
evo and bring up the young cowbird, who is 
bigger than themselves. He is so big that he 
usually smothers the young ones that belong in 
the nest. So he receives the whole attention of 
the little mother bird. 
Sometimes other birds come to help one who 
has a young cowbird to feed, and he grows big 
and strong. When he is full grown he joins 
a party of other cowbirds, and they go off ina 
flock by themselves. 
Some small birds will not submit to this. 
When they find a cowbird’s egg in their nest, 
they go away and leave it there, and make a new 
nest. Or they make a new story, as I told you 
the yellow warbler does. 
The cowbird has a queer little song. It is 
something like “ cluck-see!”’ and he seems te 
squeeze it out as if it were hard work to say it. 
