HINTS TO AUDUBON WORKERS.* 



FIFTY COMMON BIRDS AND H O W T O K N O \V THEM. 



VI. 



COWBIRD. 



THE cowbird is one of the smaller 

 blackbirds. The male has an irides- 

 cent body and purplish-brown head and 

 neck. The female has no brilliant coloring, 

 and is decidedly dingy in appearance. 



About the size of the kingbird, the cow- 

 bird imposes upon its brothers in the same 

 systematic manner. It employs subtle 

 measures, however, and the result of its 

 work is much worse than that of the king- 

 bird's. Coues says of its habits: "Like 

 the European cuckoo, it builds no nest, lay- 

 ing its eggs by stealth in the nests of vari- 

 ous other birds, especially warblers, vireos 

 and sparrows; and it appears to constitute, 

 furthermore, a remarkable exception to the 

 rule of conjugal affection and fidelity among 

 birds. A wonderful provision for the per- 

 petuation of the species is seen in its in- 

 stinctive selection of smaller birds as the 

 foster-parents of its offspring; for the larger 

 egg receives the greater share of warmth 

 during incubation, and the lustier young 

 cowbird asserts its precedence in the nest; 

 while the foster-birds, however reluctant to 

 incubate the strange egg (their devices to 

 avoid the duty are sometimes astonishing), 

 become assiduous in their care of the found- 

 ling, even to the neglect of their own young. 

 The cowbird's egg is said to hatch sooner 

 than that of most birds; this would obviously 

 confer additional advantage." 



In describing the song of the cowbird, 

 Mr. Bicknell says: "It has an indefinite 

 beginning, which is continued into a high 

 attenuated note, ending with a sound curi- 

 ously like that of bubbling water. This 

 irresistibly suggests a bubble-like bursting 



♦Copyright, 1887, by Florence A. Merriam. 



forth of sound after a long audible inhala- 

 tion. * * * The singular bodily action 

 which accompanies the vocal expression of 

 the cowbird conveys the suggestion that the 

 air sacs of the body are brought into play 

 in the production of song. The ducking 

 of its head, the spasmodic motion of its tail, 

 the half-opening of its wings, the swelling 

 of its body, which collapses with the culmi- 

 nating notes; all this, seems to point to the 

 utilization of the air sacs — to their inflation 

 and the muscular expulsion of the contained 

 air — in the execution of its singular vocal 

 performance." 



INDIGO BIRD. 



In his extremely interesting paper in the 

 July number of the Audubon Magazine, 

 Mr. Ridgway shows what a mistake peo- 

 ple have made in depreciating our American 

 songsters. With equal justice an article 

 might be written calling attention to the 

 brilliant plumage of many of our Northern 

 birds. The oriole, bluebird, goldfinch, 

 purple finch, barn swallow, scarlet tanager, 

 red-headed woodpecker, yellow-bellied vireo 

 and numbers of our warblers would excite 

 wondering delight if they should bear 

 South American or European labels. In- 

 deed, we need to establish a fashion of ap- 

 preciating our national gallery of beauties 

 among birds as well as among roadside 

 flowers. 



One of our most brilliant every-day 

 beauties, and one whose song also merits 

 close attention, is the indigo bird. Only 

 in a poor light is he as dull as our com- 

 mon indigo. In the sunlight his coat 

 is the most intense, exquisite blue, the 

 shade of which varies as he moves, and is 

 described by Thoreau as "glowing indigo;" 



