their egg iu the nest of some other bird from 



the size of a Rohin down, probably the greater 

 number being in Warblers 

 and Sparrows nests; the 

 eggs are hatched and the 

 young cared for by the un- 

 fortunate birds upon which 

 they are thrust. The eggs 

 are white, spotted and 

 speckled all over, more or 



less strongly with brown and yellowish brown; 



size .85 X .64. 



PERCHING BIRDS 



White 



Cowbird 



495a. Dwarf Cowbird. Molothrus aier 

 ohscuru.i. 



Range. — Southwestern United States and 

 Mexico, wintering south of our borders. 



This variety is like the last, but slightly 

 smaller. The nesting habits of the two are 

 identical and the eggs are indistinguishable. 

 It is believed that Cowbirds do more damage to 

 the smaller birds than all other dangers com- 

 bined, as their young being larger and stronger 

 either crowd or smother the other young or else starve tbem by getting most 

 of the food brought to the nest. 



196. Red-eyed Cowbird. Tangavius eeneus involucratus. 



Range. — Mexico; north in summer to the Lower Rio 

 Grande in Texas. 



This parasite is larger than the Cowbird, being 9 inches 

 long, and is glossy black with brassy reflections on the 

 upper and under parts. They are abundant in soutliern 

 Texas where they deposit their eggs in the nests of other 

 birds, apparently preferring those of Orioles; their eggs 

 L,lKht hluH-KipHii arg paig bluish green, unmarked; size .90 x .70. 



497. Yeli.ow-headed Blackbird. 



Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus. 



Range. — North America west of the Missis- 

 sippi to eastern California, breeding from the 

 southern parts of the United States north to 

 British Columbia and Hudson Bay and winter- 

 ing from southern United States downward. 



This large handsome 

 Blackbird with bright yel- 

 low head and breast is 

 very abundant in some 

 parts of the west, where 

 they nest in large colonies 

 in sloughs and marshes, 

 being especially abundant ^ 

 in the Dakotas and Mani- G'-avsh white 

 toba. The nests are made of strips of rushes, 

 skillfully woven together and attached to up- 

 right cane near the surface of the water. They 

 lay from four to six eggs having a grayish 

 white ground color, finely specked and spotted 

 with shades of brown and gray; slxe 1.00 x .70. 

 315 



Yellow-headed Blackbird 



