A Feathered Parasite 83 



was Joseph F. Honecker, whose statement was printed 

 in " American Ornithology" for June, 1902, and runs as 

 follows : 



"As ornithologists and all bird students think and 

 believe that the cowbird will build no nest, but always 

 lays in the nests of other birds, I am glad to give the 

 results of my experiments. In order to get the desired 

 results, in the spring of 1899 I secured a pair of cowbirds 

 and placed them in a large cage, cared well for them, and 

 supplied them with plenty of nesting material. To my 

 surprise, the female built a nest, laid four eggs, hatched 

 them, and reared the young, and on July twenty-eighth, 

 young and old were given their freedom. This will show 

 that the cowbird will build a nest and care for its young 

 in captivity, while in its wild life it has never been known 

 to do so." 



