A HERMIT'S WILD FRIENDS 



and acted as if wild with alarm and distress. 

 For a half -hour the birds flew wildly about, 

 uttering plaintive cries, after which they set- 

 tled down on a twig, where they could over- 

 look the nest. They now seemed less excited, 

 and were evidently holding a consultation. 

 After awhile they seemed to agree on a course 

 of action, for the female went on to the nest 

 and the male bird tried to sing away the 

 trouble, but I thought his song less earnest 

 than usual. 



No more eggs were laid, which was some- 

 what remarkable, as the yellowbird's number is 

 usually four. 



I found the young cowbird hatched out 

 just twelve days after the egg was laid. The 

 next morning I found the two yellowbirds 

 out of the shell. When the cowbird was two 

 days old he crowded both the little birds out of 

 the nest. When I found them, one was dead 

 and the other gasping as if fatally hurt. 

 While I was watching the latter, the mother- 

 bird appeared with an insect. She offered the 

 food to the dying bird, and appeared greatly 



