THE INSTINCT OF THE COWBIRD 



I have mentioned putting copper wire on 

 the young cowbird's leg. This artifice was 

 used on other birds as well. I could easily 

 identify my birds when they returned in mi- 

 gration. I put two turns of wire around a 

 young robin's leg one spring. This robin 

 was brought up by catbirds, with my assist- 

 ance. I had removed a catbird's egg to a 

 robin's nest, and a robin's egg to a catbird's 

 nest. The crows destroyed the robin's nest, 

 but the catbirds reared their family. The 

 young robin proved to be a male. He asso- 

 ciated with the catbirds, and went South with 

 them. He returned in the spring with the 

 male catbirds. The females and young re- 

 turned together about a week later. The 

 young robin remained about the cabin and 

 the little brook where the catbirds nested until 

 the last of June. He had a favorite tree, an 

 oak, where he would perch in the morning and 

 attempt to sing. His song was made up from 

 that of the robin and catbird. A curious 

 medley. The last of June I missed the bird, 



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