174 



AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY. 



Photo by Wilbur Smith. 



COWBIRD. 



the pan while Baby Helen was playing in the meal on the opposite side. 



Often when Mr. Saunders would put some meal into a spoon "Dick" 

 would step into it and allow himself to be carried about the yard, con- 

 tentedly feeding the while, or he would walk into Mr. Saunder's hand 

 for his food, or take it from his fingers. 



After the first few days "Dick" did not utter a note and most of the 

 time bore little resemblance to a Cow-bird. He would sit upon the 

 ground, with feathers ruffled and head drawn back upon his shoulders, 

 and instead of walking, would run with short, quick steps; but when 

 startled his feathers would lie slick and close, and with head thrust for- 

 ward, he would walk about, — a credit to his family. " Dick" showed 

 no fear, even of strangers, and if he wandered away would come quiet- 

 ly at Mr. Saunder's call. 



He became so tame in time that he made frequent excursions into the 

 house, going from one room to another. 



Everyone became much attached to him and wondered if he would 

 leave in the Fall and if he would return in the Spring; but all predic- 

 tions failed as he came to an untimely end on the fifth of July, when a 

 fox-terrier pounced upon him and before help could come to his rescue 

 " Dick's" life-story had been told. We mourned his loss and buried 

 him with far more tenderness than we were wont to accord to his va- 

 grant relatives. 



WILBUR F. SMITH. 



