FIELD AND STUDY 



this, this, is me, sir " — came and joined the golden- 

 wings, and appeared to share their soUcitude, but, 

 after he had inspected me from all sides, moved off 

 in the higher trees and resumed his singing, 



" Your nest is not far off,'* I said, "and maybe in 

 some lucky moment I shall find that also.'* 



What a touch these delicate and striking war- 

 blers gave to the old lane ! It was like a page from 

 Audubon or Wilson. 



The golden-wings, much agitated, kept up their 

 flitting about me till I withdrew. A week later I 

 returned and found the eggs all hatched, probably 

 a day or two before my return; and the big, pot- 

 bellied cowbird fairly ingulfed the frail little war- 

 blers. Up came its head with its wide-open mouth 

 quivering with eagerness. I saw at a glance what 

 would soon be the fate of those delicate baby 

 warblers; they would be overridden and starved or 

 smothered in less than three days. So I took the 

 naked, ungainly interloper in my hand and resumed 

 my walk through the bushy fields, hoping to find 

 the nest of some larger bird with young in it, in 

 which I might place it, and watch the result. I 

 considered myself lucky when I found what I took 

 to be a Savannah sparrow's nest with the young 

 nearly half grown. How closely they pressed them- 

 selves down in the nest and made no sign! When 

 I put the little beggar of a cowbird down in their 

 midst, they remained as silent and motionless 



60 



