A Feathered Parasite 77 



Her finesse is still further to be seen in the fact that 

 she usually selects some bird for a victim that is smaller 

 than herself, so that when her young hopefuls begin to 

 grow they will be able to crowd or starve out the true heirs 

 of the family. In this way it is thought that many a 

 brood comes to an untimely end, the foster parents hav- 

 ing no means of replacing their own little ones when they 

 have been ejected from the nest. However, I doubt 

 whether the cowbird's impositions are usually so destruc- 

 tive as some observers are inclined to believe. I once 

 found a bush sparrow's nest containing one cowbird and 

 four little sparrows, all of which were in a thriving 

 condition. The sparrows were so well fed and active 

 that as soon as I touched the nest they sprang, with loud 

 chirping, over the rim of their cottage and scuttled away 

 through the grass. They were certainly strong and 

 healthy, in spite of the presence of their big foster brother. 

 Before they flitted away I had time to notice how the little 

 family were disposed. The cowbird was squatted in the 

 center of the nest, while his little foster brothers and 

 sisters were ranged around him, partly covering him and 

 no doubt keeping him snug and warm. They were fur- 

 ther advanced than he, for while they scrambled from 

 the nest, he could do nothing but snuggle close on the 

 bottom of the cup. 



A wood thrush's nest that I found contained two 

 young thrushes and two buntings. All of them were 

 about half . fledged. Being of nearly the same size, the 

 queerly assorted bantlings lived in apparent peace in 



