THE ORIOLES, BLACKBIRDS, CROWS, AND JAYS. 163 



than the rightful occupants ; it is larger than they, as the 

 hosts are almost invariably smaller than cow-birds, warblers, 

 vireos, etc. Thus the young cow-bird is able to grow rapidly, 

 and within two or three days is so much ahead of his foster- 

 brothers and -sisters that he gets all the food and they die. 

 It appears to be the rule that a cow-bird's egg laid in a nest 

 ruins the hopes of the birds that built it. Every young cow- 

 bird is reared at the expense of anywhere from two to five 

 other birds, each of which is of more value than he. This 

 makes cow-birds costly. Whatever benefits we derive from 

 their food habits are more than overcome by their parasitic 

 habits. 



THE BOBOLINK. 



(After Biological Survey.) 



In the northeast quarter of the United States, it is safe to 

 assert, there is no more popular bird among country folk than 

 the BOBOLINK. He announces his coming by a shower of 

 melody from the clouds. For a fortnight he revels in bachelor 

 freedom, in glorious apple-blossoms, and pours forth a flood 



