About the jsc'cund week in ^fay thit* bird cornincneet; liuildiiiu'. 

 The nest is phiced on the ground, often beneath a tussock of 

 grass. It is constructed of leaves and grasses, and is lined 

 with fine grasses and roots. Kggs are four in number, of a 

 dark reddish-white color, covered all over with fnic sj)ots of 

 brown. 



Doj.lCJloN^ \ oK'i Zl\ OKI s — Sicain.'<o}i. 

 lionOLiMv, KEEi)iiiKi>. — In the Southern States this bird is 

 regarded with much dislike because it destroys a great deal 

 of rice, but to New England farmers it is \ery beneficial, 

 for while with us it subsists largely upon insects. Everybody 

 has been delio:hted with the beautiful sono- of this bird. Tlu 

 nest is placed beneath a tussock of grass in some swampy tract 

 of land, and is so well concealed as to be next to impossible to 

 <liscover it. It is built of m-asses and weeds. The evil's arc 

 four or five in number, and varv from lijjht blue to jxravish- 

 white in color, with blotches and spots of black and I)rown. 



]MOLOTH Itl'S I'ECOltlS SlcaillfiOll. 



Cow Blac"ki!I];i). — The habits of this bird arc very peculiar. 

 It makes its appearance about I'ke middle of iNIarch, and, in 

 flocks of perhaps ten or dozen, frequents the fields where cattle 

 are pastured, and feeds upon the flies and other insects which 

 arc to be found most plentifully about the cattle. AVlien the 

 female wishes to lay, instead of building a nest for herself, she 

 visits the nest of some other l)ird, usually one smaller than Ium- 

 sclf, and, watching for nn opportunity when the owner is 

 away, she deposits her egg. This is generally hatchc<l by the 

 l)ird who has thus been imposed upon; and the young Cow 

 Blackbird, being larger and stronger than the other young 

 birds, often crowds them out of the nest and monoj)olizes all 

 the nourishment and protection of the stepmother. The eggs 

 of this species are grayish-white, witli fine s])()ts of ])rown uwv 

 the whole sui'face. 



A( i E L . K IS 1 ' 1 1 < KNH 'E T S VieUlot . 



SwAMi' Blacki'.iiu), (Red Wi\<;ei> r>i.A(Kiui;i).) — This 



