BIRDS 115 



hardly more than a loose pile of straw, sticks, grass, and 

 feathers. It is sometimes quite large, often causing trouble 

 with drains, and looks unsightly on the house. For this 

 reason many people destroy the nests. The birds frequently 

 rebuild several times before becoming discouraged. 



Some grebes make a floating nest of rushes and sedges 

 which they fasten to growing stems of water plants. 



The cowbird builds no nest of her own, but lays her eggs 

 in the nests of other often smaller birds. The foster parents 

 hatch and rear the young cowbird. Most writers on this 

 subject say that the parent cowbirds pay no attention 

 whatever to the young. But Mr. Mason, in "A Hermit's 

 Wild Friends," asserts that he has frequently seen the mother 

 of the young cowbird visiting the nest where her offspring is 

 quartered, and occasionally has seen her feed it, and that, 

 when finally out of the nest, she assumed full care of the 

 young bird. 



There are two kinds of nestlings, precocial and altricial. 

 The former are down-covered at birth and are able to run 

 about or swim, and in a measure take care of themselves and 

 feed alone. Domestic chicks, young turkeys, ducks, and 

 goslings belong to this class, and also quail, grouse, and wild 

 waterfowl. But most birds are born far less advanced. 

 They are naked or almost so, weak and helpless, and remain 

 for a time in the nest, and are taken care of and fed by the 

 parents. This is generally for a period of several weeks, 

 till they are able to fly. For this reason a good, well-con- 

 cealed nest is an advantage. The featherless and helpless 

 state of this class of young birds is seen well in the case 

 of the canary. Young robins, blackbirds, woodpeckers, 

 thrushes, sparrows, etc., are like this. It is interesting to 



