32 THE BIRDS OF 



eggs are white, three to five in number. 

 This Flycatcher arrives about the first 

 of May, and departs about the middle 

 of September. 



COWBIRD 



When one sees a flock of black birds 

 following a cow and picking the in- 

 sects from her they are usually Cow- 

 birds. These birds have the habit of 

 the European Cuckoo, namely, of mak- 

 ing no nest, but instead the female lays 

 her eggs in the nests of smaller birds, 

 such as Chipping Sparrows, Warblers, 

 Vireos, Indigo Buntings, etc. They lay 

 a white egg streaked with brown. The 

 male bird is black with a dark brown 

 head and the female is grayish brown. 

 Although the Cowbirds are beneficial 

 in respect to their food, they are very 

 harmful as regards their nesting habit, 

 for the young Cowbird, being larger 



