OUR FRIENDS, THE BIRDS. Liv 
food alone into consideration it does perhaps more good 
than harm.” 
They, without doubt, destroy many insect-eating 
birds by crowding them out of the nest or taking the 
food from them and starving them while they are quite 
young. 
Birds resort to various methods to rid themselves 
of the strange egg or eggs when they find them in 
their nests. As the eggs are usually laid in the nests 
of small birds, they have no way of getting them out 
without breaking them and spoiling the nest. Some 
birds desert the nest, others build a second nest over 
the egg, while many sit upon them, hatch them and 
watch over and care for them as tenderly as their own. 
No poet has ever written a line in honor of the 
Cowbird, in fact, little can be said in their favor. 
They are the outcasts of bird society. 
I have read an amusing story somewhere of a 
Cowbird stealing away from the flock and depositing 
an egg in the newly made nest of a Catbird. The 
Catbird is not so often victimized as some of our 
smaller birds; but this time, seeing a new nest 
unguarded, Mrs. Cowbird quietly took possession. 
When the Catbird returned and found an egg in her 
nest, she looked about for the intruder of her new 
domicile. Seeing an innocent Sparrow near by she 
flew furiously at him and gave him a severe trouncing. 
Then, with the help of her mate she succeeded in 
removing the strange egg from her nest. 
