84 BIRDS OF LA PLATA 



himself on the ground, he immediately made off, half 

 flying* After a hard chase I succeeded in re-capturing 

 him, and began to twirl him about, making him 

 scream, so as to inform his foster-parents of his 

 situation, for they were not by at the moment* I 

 then put him back in, or rather upon, the little cradle 

 of a nest, and plucked half a dozen large measure- 

 worms from an adjacent twig. The caterpillars were 

 handed to the bird as I drew them from the cases, 

 and with great greediness he devoured them all, 

 notwithstanding the ill-treatment he had just re- 

 ceived, and utterly disregarding the wild excited 

 cries of his foster-parents, just arrived and hovering 

 within three or four feet of the nest. 



Last summer I noticed a young Cow-bird in a 

 stubble-field, perched on the top of a slender dry 

 stalk; as it was clamouring at short intervals, I 

 waited to see what bird would come to it. It proved 

 to be the diminutive Flycatcher, Hapalocercus flavi- 

 ventris; and I was much amused to see the little 

 thing fly directly to its large foster-offspring and, 

 alighting on its back, drop a worm into the upturned 

 open mouth. After remaining a moment on its 

 singular perch, the Flycatcher flew away, but in less 

 than half a minute returned and perched again on 

 the young bird's back. I continued watching them 

 until the Molothrus flew off, but not before I had 

 seen him fed seven or eight times in the same manner. 



In the two foregoing anecdotes may be seen the 

 peculiar habits of the young Molothrus. As the nests 

 in which it is hatched, from those of the little Serpo- 



