94 Twelve Months With 



was covered with very fine rootlets and moss, and 

 was one of the prettiest and cleanest phoebe's nests 

 I have ever seen. It was just about the color of the 

 adjacent bank, and was certainly in a very safe, 

 secure place. 



Leaving the young family, which I feared might 

 by this time be hungry, I started through a little 

 grove which at this point bordered the creek, when 

 I heard what appeared to be a young bird of some 

 kind teasing for food. I soon located the bird on 

 a low branch of a maple tree. It was fussing and 

 teasing and fluffing its wings and feathers, after the 

 fashion of a young robin following its mother 

 about in the grass. Because of its obscure, imma- 

 ture markings I was unable to determine its iden- 

 tity. It was almost as large as a mature black bird 

 and resembled it somewhat in appearance. While 

 I was watching it a female field sparrow, not more 

 than half its size, flew upon the branch and fed 

 the bird a worm. I then knew that it was a young 

 cowbird, which had been hatched and reared by 

 the generous little field sparrow, and was still 

 imposing upon her kindness, although the young 

 bird was long since large and strong enough to 

 take care of itself. The poor little field sparrow 

 was worked almost to the point of exhaustion in 

 her efforts to satisfy the ravenous appetite of the 

 young cowbird who followed her about wherever 

 she went, teasing incessantly. The yellow warbler 

 and the vireos are also frequently imposed upon in 

 this way by the cowbirds. 



