184 COW BUNTING, 



the obliging writer for a few unimportant omissions which have 

 been anticipated in the preceding pages. 



" I regret exceedingly that professional avocations have put 

 " it out of my power to have replied earlier to your favour of 

 " the nineteenth of September, and although I shall not now 

 " reflect all the light you desire, a faithful transcript from mem- 

 " oranda noted at the moment of observation, may not be alto- 

 " gether uninteresting. 



" The Fringilla pecoris, is generally known in Maryland by 

 "the name of the Cow Blackbird; and none but the naturalist 

 " view it as a distinct species. It appears about the last of March, 

 " or first week in April; though sometimes a little earlier when 

 " the spring is unusually forward. It is less punctual in its ap- 

 " pearance than many other of our migratory birds. 



" It commonly remains with us till about the last of October; 

 " though unusually cold weather sometimes banishes it much 

 " earlier. It how r ever sometimes happens that a few of them re- 

 " main with us all winter, and are seen hovering about our barns 

 " and farm-yards when straitened for sustenance by snow or 

 " hard frost. It is remarkable that in some years I have not 

 " been able to discover one of them during the months of July 

 " and August; when they have suddenly appeared in Septem- 

 " her in great numbers. I have noticed this fact always imme- 

 " diately after a series of very hot weather, and then only. The 

 " general opinion is that they then retire to the deep recesses of 

 " the shady forest; but if this had been the fact, I should prob- 

 " ably have discovered them in my rambles in every part of 

 " the woods. I think it more likely that they migrate further 

 " north till they find a temperature more congenial to their feel- 

 " ings, or find a richer repast in following the cattle in a better 

 " pasture.* 



* " It may not be improper to remark here, that the appearance of this bird 

 " in spring is sometimes looked for with anxiety by the farmers. If the horn- 

 " ed cattle happen to be diseased in spring they ascribe it to worms, and con- 

 " sider the pursuit of the birds as an unerring indication of the necessity of 

 "medicine. Although this hypothesis of the worms infesting the cattle so as 



