THE COW-BIRD 



The baby's crop hollowed until it was drawn from sight/his eyes 

 sank deeper and he grew more patient. 



Bob's only relief was to watch his Vireos thrive. There 

 being but two of them they were unusually well fed and grew to 

 remarkable size and beauty. Every time he approached the nest 

 the proud little father came turning somersaults through the air 

 and inquiring with true pulpit oratory, "Do you see it?" "Do 

 you hear me? " " Do you believe it ? " while Bob with bared head 

 and worshipful eyes said that he did. One day he found them 



INVERTED NEST OF SONG SPARROW, SHOWING 

 WALLED-IN EGG OF COW-BIRD 



on the edge of the nest and sent for me to hurry, for he not only 

 wanted a picture of them, but when they went it was time for 

 the Warbler's queer brood to go also. 



I arrived in time to secure a study of them, but soon they 

 were gone. It was not until three days later that Bob found one 

 of the Cow-birds on a limb, the other on the edge of the nest, and 

 both of them so stuffed that by no possibility could they point 

 their beaks straight forward over their swollen crops. The Warbler 

 was fully feathered. There was not a trace of down on him, and 



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