THE CUCKOOS AND THE OUTWITTED COW-BIRD 31 



low among the dried leaves and grass, and is so 

 artfully merged Jth its immediate surroundings 

 that even though you know its precise location it 

 still eludes you. Only yesterday the last finish- 

 ing-touches were made upon the nest, and this 

 morning, as T might have anticipated from the 

 excess of lisp and twitter of the mother bird, I 

 find the first pretty brown-spotted egg. 



Surely our cow -bird has missed this secret 

 haunt on her rounds. Be not deceived ! Within 

 a half-hour after this egg was laid the sparrow 

 and its mate, returning from a brief absence to 

 view their prize, discover two eggs where they 

 had been responsible for but one. The prowling 

 foe had already discovered their secret; for she, 

 too, is " an attendant on the spring," and had been 

 simply biding her time. The parent birds once 

 out of sight, she had stolen slyly upon the nest, 

 and after a very brief interval as slyly retreated, 

 leaving her questionable compliments, presumably 

 with a self-satisfied chuckle. The intruded egg is 

 so like its fellow as to be hardly distinguishable 

 except in its slightly larger size. It is doubtful 

 whether the sparrow, in particular, owing to this 

 similarity, ever realizes the deception. Indeed, 

 the event is possibly considered a cause for self- 

 congratulation rather than otherwise at least, 



