Ttiti CANADIAN SPORTSMAN AND NATUIiA LIS*. 



I'll 



bier although usually accepting the introduc- 

 tion of the strange egg, when some of her own 

 have been laid, has freipienfly adopted the 

 ingenious device of adding another storey to 

 its nest, thus effectually getting rid of the 

 obnoxious egg. I have also on one occasion 

 found the nest of a Redstart SO constructed, 

 the lower storey containing a single egg of the. 

 Cow bird, and the upper four ot its own. No 

 further proof need be required of the antipathy 

 of these birds to incubate eggs other than 

 their own, and we cannot but admire the 

 extraordinary intelligence displayed in thus 

 burying the intruder, though the reason for 

 their being- compelled to accept a task so 

 obnoxious remains as much a mystery as 

 ever. It has been alleged with regard to the 

 Cuckoo of Europe, whose habits are similar, 

 that the eggs mature at long intervals, render- 

 ing it inconvenient for the bird to construct a 

 nest and attend to incubation in the ordinary 

 manner, thus justifying to a certain extent its 

 conduct in depositing its eggs in the nests of 

 other birds. However pretty, or true, this 

 may be with regard to the Cuckoo, I do not 

 think the Cow bird is less prolific, or regular 

 in this respect than other birds. That they 

 lay several eggs, and at ordinary intervals, can 

 hardly be doubted from the comparative scar- 

 city of the birds in some places and the 

 number of nests found containing their eggs. 

 Whether more than one egg is deposited in a 

 nest by the same bird, it is impossible to state, 

 the fact of finding a greater number does not 

 prove them to have been laid by the same 

 female, though from the similarity of the 

 markings of different eggs found in the same 

 nest, it has been thought that more than one 

 has sometimes been laid by the same bird. 

 The Red-eyed Vireo appears to show less 

 concern about the reception of the egg than 

 many others, and two eggs are frequently 

 found in nests of this species. It has not been 

 definitely stated by ornithologists whether the 

 Cow bird removes the eggs of other birds in 

 order to make room for her own. The Cuckoo 

 is enabled to do this in the same manner in 

 which she sometimes deposits them, by carry- 

 ing in her bill, or feet. From the differeni 

 construction of the bill of the Cow bird it- 

 would be impossible tor it to convey an egg 

 in this manner, yet I am convinced they 

 sometimes either remove or destroy them, as 

 it is very rare to discover a nest containing 

 more than the normal number of eggs, in- 

 cluding the Cow bird's. As tending to confirm 



this opinion I will mention the case of a 

 of the Red-eyed Vireo containing when disco- 

 vered, two Pgg8, one of which v. 



bird's; on visiting this nest three or four days 

 later I found thai the egg ol the Vireo had 

 been removed and iwo more Cow bird's 

 had been laid, theVireos in the meantime had 



commenced incubation and were apparently as 

 solicitous for the safety of the nesi as if the 

 eggs had been their own. However disagree- 

 able the first discovery of the alien egg may 

 be to some birds, it is evident this feeling - 

 soon forgotten, and the young Cow bird never 

 fails to receive the closest attention, no matter 

 to what species his foster-parents may belong. 

 When deposited in the nest of a Warbler or 

 other small bird.it frequently happens thai 

 the egg of the Cowbinl maturing early, the 

 smaller eggs are broken by the young occu- 

 pant, or, owing to his superior size and rapid 

 development, the more delicate young are 

 crowded out or destroyed. This does not 

 appear to occur from an inherent desire to 

 destroy the more feeble birds and remain sole 

 occupant of the nest, as is the case with the 

 the European "Cuckoo, but is no doubt due to 

 superior bulk and strength alone, as. when 

 brought up in nests of birds of more equal 

 size the young Cowbird remains a peaceful 

 occupant, enjoying equal privileges with the 

 rest of the brood until all are ready to leave 

 the nest. Having no duties to perform 

 requiring the close association and co-oper- 

 ation of the sexes, it is not surprising that this 

 species should be polygamous, and they arc 

 also more or less gregarious being usually 

 seen in small flocks throughout the season. 

 W. W. Dim. op, 

 Montreal, June 25th, 1883. 



NOTES ON THE RED-SHOULDERED 

 HAWK. 



The nesting of Hawks in the vicinity of 

 Hyde Park has been much disturbed this 

 season. More than seventy eggs were taken 

 and 1 have preserved a la ge number of spe- 

 cimens of Red-tailed, Red-shouldered and 

 Cooper's Hawks. The Red-shouldered Hawk 

 (Buteo lineatus), is the most common species 

 breeding here, arriving in March. They are 

 evidently mated when they first appear and 

 may be heard almost any day in the vicinity 

 of their old nests. When close to a nest, I 

 have on several occasions known the male to 

 swoop down within a few feet of my head. 



