32 SOME CANADIAN BIRDS. 



the young — the male often exhibiting a tender care of his mate and 

 brood. It is true of a few species that the male does not keep to a 

 single mate, but divides his attention equally among a flock of 

 females, leaving to them the entire care of nest and young. 



The cowbird alone possesses nothing like conjugal affection. 

 The male neither selects a mate nor undertakes the organization of 

 a harem, but males and females live in small flocks in the loosest 

 kind of communism. Also they have little parental instinct, and 

 therefore build no nest ; for a bird's nest is built for its young. 

 Tliey diffev from most luadrupeds in this. The beaver rears its 

 home for its own sheltox ; the bear and the fox make dens for their 

 own conjfort ; the squirrel stocks his moss-lined snuggery for his 

 own tooth ; a bird builds solely for its brood. 



Eliot Coues writes : — " It is interesting to observe the female cow- 

 bird ready to lay. fehe becomes disquieted ; she betrays unwonted 

 excitement, and ceases her busy search for food with her companions. 

 At length she separates from the flock and sallies fortli to 

 reconnoitre, anxiously indeed, for her case is urgent, and she 

 has no home. How obtrusive is the sad analogy ! She flies to some 

 thicket, or hedgerow, or other common resort for birds, where, 

 something teaches her — perhaps experience — nests will be found. 

 Stealthily and in perfect silence she flits along, peering furtively, 

 alternately elated or dejected, into the depths of the foliage. She 

 espie.s a nest, but the owner's head peeps over the brim, and she 

 must pass on. Now, however, comes her chance ; there is the very 

 nest she wishes, and no one at home. She disappears for a few 

 minutes and it is almost another bird that comes out of the bush. 

 Her business done, and trouble over, she chuckles herself 

 gratulations, rustles her plumage to adjust it trimly, and flies back 

 to her associates. They know what has happened, but are discreet 

 enough to say nothing — charity is no less often wise than kind." 



The nest selected by the cowbird for the depository of her egg is 

 usually that of a smaller bird — the redstart, summer warbler, and 

 red-eyed warbler, all smaller birds, being most frequently imposed 

 upon. The owners of the nest are much disturbed when the 

 ominous egg is discovered and will often abandon their home in 

 preference to accepting the task thus thrust upon them. Sometimes, 



