the Cow Black-Bird, 



42 



i 



most satisfactory nature, for not only one, but actually two 

 eggs of the cow black-bird were deposited, and instead 

 of being forsaken, were set upon at least a week before 

 the bird was ready to lay any of her own eggs. And 

 though repeatedly disturbed, first by having her empty 

 and unfinished nest nearly inverted, then by having the 

 eggs of the cow^-troopial removed and afterwards replaced, 

 in order to put their identity beyond a doubt, and again 

 by having her own egg removed, she still clung to her 

 adopted ofl^pring, with unexampled fidelity. 



Again, w^e find the following paragraph, in which, by 

 his unw^arranted deductions, he is guilty of great injustice 

 to Mr. Nuttall : " There is a passage in Mr. NuttalFs 

 history of the blue-grey fly-catcher, which I cannot for- 

 bear quoting, as it involves one of the most preposterous 

 ideas that ever entered into the brain of a naturalist. 

 After describing the nest of the fly-catcher, our author 

 adds, ^ In this frail nest, the cow-troopial sdmetimes 



and 



afiectionat 

 he cuckoo 



In this case, as 



of the red-tailed warbler, the egg is probably conveyed 

 by the parent, and placed in this small and slender cradle, 

 which could not be able to sustain the weight, or receive 

 the body of the intruder/ " *^ It seems," observes Mr. 

 Ord, " that some astute observers have lately discovered 

 that the European cuckoo is in the habit of transporting 

 her egcr in her mouth, when the situation of the nest of 

 her selected nurse (a hole in the wall for instance) should 

 seem to hinder her ingress to it. Mr. Nuttall, seizing 

 * upon this idea, does not hesitate to conjecture that the 

 same stratagem is practised by our cow-bunting in the 

 case instanced by him." What right has he to assume 



I 



