64 IN THE HEMLOCKS. 



yards from me it disappeared behind some low brush 

 and had evidently alighted upon the ground. 



After waiting a few moments I cautiously walked in 

 the direction. When about half way I accidentally 

 made a slight noise, when the bird flew up, and seeing 

 me hurried off out of the woods. Arrived at the place, 

 I found a simple nest of dry grass and leaves partially 

 concealed under a prostrate branch. I took it to be the 

 nest of a sparrow. There were three eggs in the nest 

 and one lying about a foot below it as if it had been 

 rolled out, as of course it had. It suggested the thought 

 that perhaps when the cow-bird finds the full comple- 

 ment of eggs in a nest, it throws out one and deposits 

 its own instead. I revisited the nest a few days after- 

 ward and found an egg again cast out, but none had 

 been put in its place. The nest had been abandoned 

 by its owner and the eggs were stale. 



In all cases where I have found this egg, I have 

 observed both male and female of the cow-bird lin- 

 gering near, the former uttering his peculiar liquid, 

 glassy note from the tops of the trees. 



In July the young, which have been reared in the 

 same neighborhood, and which are now of a dull fawn 

 color, begin to collect in small flocks, which grow to 

 be quite large in autumn. 



The speckled Canada is a very superior warbler, 

 having a lively, animated strain, reminding you of 

 certain parts of the canary's though quite broken and 

 incomplete ; the bird, the while hopping amid the 



