COW BLA CKB1RD. 133 



The males arc very fond of strutting about in order to display their brilliant charms to the 

 plainly dressed females, lor they spread their tails widely, droop their wings, and ruffle their 

 dark feathers, not only when singing, but whenever they approach the object of their af- 

 feotions. 



Two or more males often pay their attentions to one female, singularly, without at- 

 tempting to quarrel, when she will suddenly take wing and all will start in pursuit. The 

 flight of a female at this time is exceedingly swift, for she will usually manage to keep ahead 

 of her followers who ardently press on, giving a rather sharp, prolonged cry as they dart 

 through the air. All the males within hearing join in, and it is not unusual to see a half 

 do/en at a time after one of the other sex who will lead them a long chase, now darting 

 upward to a considerable height, then doubling, will glide through the tangled branches of 

 a clump of trees, emerging on the opposite side with great rapidity. This exciting race 

 is evidently maintained merely as a matter of sport, for when the object of chase becomes 

 weary she will quietly settle on the branch of a tree, and her admirers gather around her, 

 calmly arranging their feathers. After resting for a time one will commence his gallant- 

 ries once more, when the female darts into the air again and the males dash vehemently 

 after her as before. 



Not long after the arrival of the females they may be seen peering about in bushes or 

 among the boughs of trees in search of the nest of some other bird in which to deposit their 

 eggs. Their judgement, or rather instinct, must be almost unerring, for I never knew one 

 to mistake an old nest for a fresh one, nor do they ever place their eggs with those that 

 are partly incubated. The species which the Cow Blackbirds select as foster-parents for 

 their young are, strangely enough, almost always smaller than themselves. The Thrushes, 

 Warblers, some Sparrows, and occasionally the Wrens, are the prominent birds chosen. 

 The intruding egg is, I think, laid when the owner of the nest is absent, as those birds 

 which are most assiduous in guarding their homes, like the Flycatchers, are only occasion- 

 ally troubled. It is a noteworthy fact that very few species ever notice this addition to 

 their store of eggs, even though it be very much larger, and quite different in color. 

 Occasionally the nest will be abandoned after the visit of the Cow Blackbird, and once in a 

 while a new structure will be built over the intruding egg. The species which more often 

 show this good judgement are the Yellow Warbler and Gold Finch, but it is probable that 

 this only occurs when the parasitical egg is laid before any of their own. Sometimes two 

 or even three Cow Blackbird's eggs are to be found in one nest, but undoubtedly this is 

 tin; work of more than one female, as it is probable that the instinct of each bird teaches 

 her never to visit the same nest a second time. 



The young changeling does not appear to be looked upon as an intruder, for it is care- 

 fully reared. This may be due to the fact that, as the eggs of the Cow Birds are always 

 hatched first, and either the eggs which belonged in the nest are removed by the parents 

 as worthless, or when the young are hatched they are so very weak that they are crushed 

 to death by the interloper; thus the foster-child, being the only one left, it receives all the 

 attention which should have been bestowed upon the rightful owners of the nest. An- 

 other proof that the intrusion of this species does not trouble the birds upon which it im- 



