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Prof. W. E. D. Scott,



Sparrow. On May 24th I discovered the three Field Sparrows

dead in the nest, but the young Canary bird was flourishing, and

in course of time grew up to maturity under its parents’ care.


To return to the Cowbird’s eggs in the same clutch ; both

of these eggs were hatched on the morning of the twenty-second,

and, also, two Canary bird’s eggs which I had left with them, so

that there were two Cowbirds and two young Canary birds in the

nest. Throughout the day and on the day succeeding one the

parent birds paid close attention to the brood, and the young

birds, I could see, were strong and hearty, as all four of them

raised their heads to be fed, and seemed to be treated precisely

alike by the parent Canaries. The same conditions prevailed on

May 24th. On the morning of May 25th the birds were doing

well and had grown rapidly. On the afternoon of May 25th

one of the Cowbirds died, though the other was still strong,

and with the two young Canary birds was constantly fed by

the parents. On May 25th the second Cowbird died, and I

introduced two young Chipping Sparrows, apparently of about

the same age as the two young Canaries, to take the place of the

two Cowbirds. I saw the old Canary bird at once feed the two

Sparrows as she did her own birds, and during the day a young

man, whom I had posted to watch the proceedings, reported that

they were constantly fed. On May 27th the two young Sparrows

were strong and healthy, as well as the young Canaries. The

same conditions prevailed on the twenty-eighth, and on the

twenty-ninth of the month. On May 30th one of the Sparrows

died and was removed. The other appeared strong and healthy,

and so far fledged that its species could be discriminated. The

old birds fed the remaining young one throughout the day as

well as the young Canaries. On May 31st the young Sparrow

and the Canaries were vigorous and flourishing. This condition

of affairs was maintained until June 2nd. On June 2nd I found

the single Sparrow so far grown as to be able to leave the nest,

though the two Canaries were not so far advanced. At eleven

o’clock the young Sparrow left the nest and hopped about the

floor of the cage ; after an hour I put him back in the nest,

where he remained till the next morning. On June 3rd the

Chipping Sparrow again left the nest, and I did not return him



