76 COW BUNTING. 



Buntings, or some new intermediate genus ; the notes or dialect of the 

 Cow Bunting and those of the Red-wings, as well as some other pecu- 

 liarities of voice and gesticulation, being strikingly similar. 



Respecting this extraordinary bird I have received communications 

 from various quarters, all corroborative of the foregoing particulars. 

 Among these is a letter from Dr. Potter of Baltimore, which as it con- 

 tains some new and interesting facts, and several amusing incidents, 

 illustrative of the character of the bird, I shall with pleasure lay before 

 the reader, apologizing to the obliging writer for a few unimportant 

 omissions, which have been anticipated in the preceding pages. 



" I regret exceedingly that professional avocations have put it out of 

 my power to have replied earlier to your favor of the 19th of Septem- 

 ber ; and although I shall not now reflect all the light you desire, a faith- 

 ful transcript from memoranda noted at the moment of observation, may 

 not be altogether uninteresting. 



" The Fringilla pecoris, is generally known in Maryland by the name 

 of the Cow Blackbird ; and none but the naturalist view it as a distinct 

 species. It appears about the last of March, or first week in April ; 

 though sometimes a little earlier when the spring is unusually forward. 

 It is less punctual in its appearance than many other of our migratory 

 birds. 



" It commonly remains with us till about the last of October ; though 

 unusually cold weather sometimes banishes it much earlier. It how- 

 ever sometimes happens that a few of them remain with us all win- 

 ter, and are seen hovering about our barns and farm-yards when 

 straitened for sustenance by snow or hard frost. It is remarkable that 

 in some years I have not been able to discover one of them during the 

 months of July and August ; when they have suddenly appeared in 

 September in great numbers. I have noticed this fact always immedi- 

 ately after a series of very hot weather, and then only. The general 

 opinion is that they then retire to the deep recesses of the shady forest ; 

 but if this had been the fact, I should probably have discovered them in my 

 rambles in every part of the woods. I think it more likely that they 

 migrate further north till they find a temperature more congenial to 

 their feelings, or find a richer repast in following the cattle in a better 

 pasture.* 



* " It may not be improper to remark here, that the appearance of this bird in 

 spring is sometimes looked for with anxiety by the farmers. If the horned cattle 

 happen to be diseased in spring they ascribe it to worms, and consider the pursuit 

 of the birds as an unerring indication of the necessity of medicine. Although 

 this hypothesis of the worms infesting the cattle so as to produce much disease is 

 problematical, their superabundance at this season cannot be denied. The larvae 

 of several species are deposited in the vegetables when green, and the cattle are 

 fed on them as fodder in winter. This furnishes the principal inducement for the 



