Across the Fields. 253 



from the East. The yellow of the throat reaches farther back on the sides of 

 the neck almost to the region about the ears. 



The male Cowbird is about eight inches long and has a hood of fine 



dark snuff brown extending over the head, neck, and breast. The rest of 



the plumage is lustrous metallic black with an iridescent 



Cowbird. sheen varying from blue to greenish. The female is a 



Molothrus ater (Bodd.) • i i • • 



plam grayish brown bird with this tone lightest below 

 often becoming grayish white on the throat. 



From its method of nesting, or rather lack of it, for so far as known 

 these birds do not build but are parasitic, laying their eggs in other birds' 

 nests, the Cowbird has called down maledictions on its head. This may be 

 to an extent warranted, but the fact that the great laws of nature have 

 developed a necessity for such a bird seems to bespeak for it at least patient 

 and careful consideration. There are few if any unmixed evils allowed to 

 survive in the great struggle for existence, but the good results are not 

 always patent to even the most careful student. 



Many of our birds prey directly on each other but we have discriminated 

 and balanced the accounts of a few that scan tlic worst, notably Hawks, 

 Owls, Jays, and Crows, and on the whole have concluded that there is a 

 large balance of good to their credit after charging up all apparent evil. It 

 is more than probable that even in the case of the despised and maligned 

 Cowbird this is true. Perhaps the cows and beasts of the field, with 

 whom these birds associate on apparently good terms, would prove good 

 advocates for their small friends, telling of myriads of insects that are kept 

 in check by their efforts. After watching them for years I cannot but 

 believe this. 



The Cowbird's ^^<g is white profusely and closely spotted with brown 

 shades that give it a gray effect. They are nearly nine tenths of an inch 

 long and over three fifths of an inch broad. You will find such eggs in 

 many kinds of small birds' nests, notably some of the Warblers, Sparrows, 

 and Vireos. 



The birds range from Texas into British America as far north as New 

 Brunswick and Manitoba, breeding throughout this area and wintering regu- 

 larly from Southern New Jersey and Illinois southward. 



