THE INSTINCT OF THE COWBIRD 



Not educated in nest building, the female 

 would fly to other nests to drop her eggs. 

 Other cowbirds may have adopted the same 

 method, finding it pleasant to have the care 

 of their babies shouldered on to servants, like 

 some human mothers. 



However, the whole thing is mere specula- 

 tion, and it is not worth while to follow it 

 further. 



A few years ago a cowbird laid an egg in 

 a chewink's nest. The chewink visited my 

 dooryard. I did not remove the egg, but 

 watched for the cowbird. Before the egg was 

 hatched I shot the mother. I wanted to see 

 if a young cowbird, reared without his own 

 mother, would go out to the cow-pasture where 

 there was a flock of old cowbirds. The che- 

 winks reared the cowbird and three of their 

 own babies. This was the first brood. When 

 the mother chewink made a new nest, the 

 father took care of the four little ones. Be- 

 fore his mate hatched the second brood, he 

 took his charge to a bird resort near a pond. 

 This was near the cow-pasture, and the flock 

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