82 COW BUNTING. 



only in a more rapidly repeated monotony. The deportment of the 

 male, during his promiscuous intercourse with the other sex, resembles 

 much that of a pigeon in the same situation. He uses nearly the 

 same gestures ; and by attentively listening you will hear a low, gut- 

 tural sort of muttering, which is the most agreeable of his notes, and 

 not unlike the cooing of a pigeon. This, sir, is the amount of my 

 information on this subject ; and is no more than a transcript from my 

 notes made several years ago. For ten years past since I have lived in 

 this city, many of the impressions of nature have been effaced, and 

 artificial ideas have occupied theii- places. The pleasure I formerly 

 received in viewing and examining the objects of nature, are, however, 

 not entirely forgotten ; and those which remain, if they can interest 

 you, are entirely at your service. With the sincerest wishes for the 

 success of your useful and arduous undertaking, 



" I am, dear sir, 



" Yours, very respectfully, 



"Nathaniel Potter." 



To the above very interesting detail I shall add the following recent 

 fact which fell under my own observation, and conclude my account of 

 this singular species. 



In the month of July last I took from the nest of the Maryland 

 Yellow- throat, which was built among the dry leaves at the root of a 

 briar bush, a young male Cow Bunting, which filled and occupied the 

 whole nest. I had previously watched the motions of the foster parents 

 for more than an hour, in order to ascertain whether any more of their 

 young were lurking about or not ; and was fully satisfied that there 

 were none. They had in all probability perished in the manner before 

 mentioned. I took this bird home with me, and placed it in the same 

 cage with a Red-bird (Loxia cardinalis), who, at first, and for several 

 minutes after, examined it closely, and seemingly with great curiosity. 

 It soon became clamorous for food, and from that moment the Red-bird 

 seemed to adopt it as his own, feeding it with all the assiduity and ten- 

 derness of the most affectionate nurse. When he found that the grass- 

 hopper which he had brought it was too large for it to swallow, he took 

 the insect from it, broke it in small portions, chewed them a little to 

 soften them, and with all the gentleness and delicacy imaginable put 

 them separately into its mouth. He often spent several minutes in 

 looking at and examining it all over, and in picking off any particles 

 of dirt that he observed on its plumage. In teaching and encouraging 

 it to learn to eat of itself, he often reminded me of the lines of 

 Goldsmith, 



He tried each art, reproved each dull delay, 

 Allured to ^'fav' rite food," and led the way. 



