316 RIVERBY 



think it would swallow its parent when food is 

 brought it. I suppose a similar spectacle is wit- 

 nessed in England when the cuckoo is brought up 

 by a smaller bird, as is always the case. Sings the 

 fool in " Lear : " — 



" The hedge-sparrow fed the cuckoo so long, 

 That it had it head bit off by it young." 



Last season I saw a cow-bunting fully grown fol- 

 lowing a "chippie" sparrow about, clamoring for 

 food, and really looking large enough to bite off and 

 swallow the head of its parent, and apparently hun- 

 gry enough to do it. The " chippie " was evidently 

 trying to shake it off and let it shift for itself, for 

 it avoided it and flew from point to point to escape 

 it. Its life was probably made wretched by the 

 greedy monster it had unwittingly reared. 



