NESTLINGS OF FOREST AND MARSH 
while the young cowbird was covered with a 
fuzzy white down-like cotton, and had the 
hollow back of a cuckoo. When only a 
day old he tried to boost the others out of 
the nest, or at least persisted in putting his 
Young wood thrushes and cowbird 
head down, raising his back and ‘hitching ” 
backward with a funny motion which would 
shove any bird of his size out of the nest. 
Fortunately the thrushes, being older, were 
larger, and as there were but two, the three 
nestlings managed to stay in the cradle to- 
gether. I fancied the parent thrushes looked 
askance at the queer baby, but they fed him 
without audible protest, and never told 
whether they admired or disliked him. We 
photographed the fledgelings when the cow- 
246 
ee 
