74 
NESTS AND EGGS OF 
carrying its jjrecious treasures away. But how this is accomplished, it is 
impossible to say. Mr. Minot has known instances where the young have 
been removed, although many of the cases seemed to be beyond the ability 
of bird-ingenuity to accomplish. 
On one occasion, while our worthy friend was ascending a tree which 
contained a nest of this species, and that, too, with as much care and 
quietness as was possible under the circumstances, he was surjjrised to see 
the parent birds return several times to the tree upon his arrival at a 
point which commanded full view of the inside of the domicile. Although 
the nest was known to contain eggs, which were seen through the inter- 
stices from below, his astonishment was undoubtedly heightened, when he 
discovered it to be empty. He immediately began an examination of the 
premises, hut could find no pieces of broken shells, or traces of yolk on 
branch, or on the ground beneath. The eggs had certainly been spirited 
away, but whether they were afterwards returned and successfully hatched 
or not, he was unable to say. 
Notwithstanding the precaution which these birds take in the selection 
of a building-spot, and the artfulness with which they seek to conceal 
their home by means of the surrounding leaves, it is a fact, not generally 
known, hut nevertheless true, that much of their j>rudence and painstaking 
counts for naught. They may deceive the trained collector, but they can- 
not elude the sagacity and watchfulness of the female Cowbird, who is 
ever on the alert and ready to slip into their uuocciqned nest and deposit 
her own egg. 
We have known instances where as many as three of these parasitic 
eggs had been left in the nest alongside of one of the rightful occupant’s 
eggs. A case of the kind came to notice last summer. But whether the 
owners of the nest would have hatched the intruders or not, we cannot 
say, as its contents were rifled shortly after the discovery had been made. 
Owdng to its shallowness, it is highly j^robahle that the owners would have 
thrown them out on becoming cognizant of their presence. With small 
