COW BUNTING. 187 



" egg of each. Knowing the precise time of deposit, I noted 

 " the spot and date which a view of determining a question of 

 " importance, the time required to hatch the egg of the Cow- 

 " bird, which I supposed to commence from the time of the 

 "Yellow-throat's laying the last egg. A few days after, the 

 " nest was removed I knew not how, and I was disappointed. 

 " In the progress of the Cow-bird along the creek's side sheen- 

 " tered the thick boughs of a small cedar, and returned several 

 " times before she could prevail on herself to quit the place; 

 "and upon examination, I found a Sparrow sitting on its nest, 

 " on which she no doubt would have stolen in the absence of 

 "the owner. It is, I believe certain, that the Cow-pen finch 

 " never makes a forcible entry upon the premises by attacking 

 " other birds and ejecting them from their rightful tenements, 

 " although they are all perhaps inferior in strength, except the 

 " Blue-bird, which, although of a mild as well as affectionate 

 " dispositon, makes a vigorous resistance when assaulted. Like 

 " most other tyrants and thieves they are cowardly, and accom- 

 "plish by stealth what they cannot obtain by force. 



" The deportment of the Yellow-throat on this occasion is not 

 "to be omitted. She returned while I waited near the spot, and 

 " darted into her nest, but returned immediately and perched 

 " upon a bough near the place, remained a minute or two and 

 " entered it again, returned and disappeared. In ten minutes 

 " she returned with the male. They chattered with great agi- 

 " tation for half an hour seeming to participate in the affront, 

 "and then left the place. I believe all the birds thus intruded 

 " on manifest more or less concern at finding the egg of a 

 " stranger in their own nests. Among these the Sparrow is par- 

 ticularly punctilious; for she sometimes chirps her complaints 

 " for a day or two, and often deserts the premises altogether, 

 " even after she has deposited one or more eggs. The folio w- 

 66 ing anecdote will show not only that the Cow-pen finch in- 

 " sinuates herself slily into the nests of other birds, but that even 

 " the most pacific of them will resent the insult. A Blue-bird 

 " had built for three successive seasons in the cavity of a mul- 



