86 INSESSORES. 



from home, and then quietly dropping an egg into 

 their nests. Half-a-dozen of these eggs may be found 

 sometimes in a single morning's walk, by examining the 

 newly made nests of the Yellow-poll Warbler, White- 

 eyed Vireo, Blue-grey Fly-catcher, Golden-crowned 

 Thrush, and Maryland Yellow-throat ; the latter more 

 especially seeming to be the favorite recipient of this 

 unwelcome gift. It is a fact worthy of remark, that, 

 although the Cow-bird is much larger than most of 

 these birds, yet its egg is quite small, and approaches 

 very near to the size of those in the nest where it is 

 laid ; it also, in almost every case, is hatched several 

 days in advance of the others, thus securing to the 

 young Cow-bird the exclusive care of its foster-mother. 

 Her own eggs soon becoming worthless for want of 

 attention, are tossed from the nest to make room for 

 the fast-growing intruder, toward which she is as 

 devoted in her attentions as though it was her own 

 progeny. 



As these birds do not pair, their life must neces- 

 sarily be very different from that of others. While 

 all around them are in the settled enjoyment of their 

 mated companionship, the Cow-birds are roaming 

 about the country in small companies, mingling pro- 

 miscuously with each other, and seeming to have no 

 particular preference for any stated locality. Early 

 in the autumn the young birds instinctively join the 

 old ones, when they assemble in flocks of immense 

 size, and may be seen by the thousands and tens of 

 thousands among the reeds along the river banks, 



