THE COW-PEN-BIRD. 21 



felt convinced that it was nothing else than a young Cow-pen-bird, scarcely 

 fledged, it having been found "in the early part of the summer of 1830." 

 With the view, therefore, of preventing further mistakes I thought it well 

 to figure it. 



It is in the habit of retiring to rest and spending the night on the reeds 

 bordering ponds in unfrequented places, as are the rest of our "Blackbirds." 

 One of their roosting-places is alluded to by my young friend Dr. Thomas 

 M. Brewer, of Boston, in a letter, as follows: — "The four Cow Blackbirds 

 which I obtained the last day you were with us, were shot in the marshes of 

 Fresh Pond, by Mr. Charles E. Ware. I went to the pond a day or two 

 after, but was unable to procure any, as it was so late in the afternoon that 

 they were all gone to roost in the reeds, and I could see them in thousands, 

 nay, tens of thousands. The rustling noise they made was truly deafening." 



"You can hardly expect," continues Dr. Brewer, "that I should add any 

 thing to the detailed account which I have already given you of this bird, 

 and yet I cannot but think that much remains to be told respecting its habits. 

 Many circumstances relative to its history still solicit the attention of the 

 inquisitive naturalist, but of these I am not at present qualified to speak. 

 There is one subject, however, on which I may offer a few remarks, namely, 

 its laying in the nest of Fringilla tristis. Wilson first asserted that it 

 burdens that species with the charge of its egg; but Mr. Nuttall denies 

 the possibility of such an occurrence, on the ground that the Cow Blackbirds 

 are not present at the time when the Goldfinch is breeding. For this, how- 

 ever, Mr. Ord takes him to task, and states that he has himself seen a Cow 

 Bunting's egg in the nest of the bird in question. Now, it appears to me, 

 that when we consider how extremely incorrect Wilson's description of the 

 nest and eggs of Fringilla tristis is, very little reliance can be placed upon 

 his assertion in this case. I can add my testimony to the authority of Mr. 

 Nuttall as to the absence of the Cow-bird from this State while the Gold- 

 finch is breeding here. The former leaves Massachusetts before the first of 

 July, sometimes earlier, indeed by the middle of June, and never lays on its 

 return late in September. I have never found the nest of the Goldfinch 

 before the 7th of August, although Mr. Nuttall states that it breeds in 

 July. But then Mr. Ord says that he has himself witnessed the occurrence. 

 I would be the last person to doubt that gentleman's veracity, nor have I the 

 slightest idea that he would wilfully make a mistatement; yet I cannot help 

 thinking that in this matter he has been deceived. Perhaps he is correct: 

 but, in that case, he must either have in his part of the country a distinct 

 species of Goldfinch, or its habits and those of the Cow-bird must be very 

 different there from what they are here. At all events, it is utterly impos- 

 sible that such an occurrence could ever have taken place in Massachusetts. 



