20 THE COW-PEN-BIRD. 



when any such remain after the hatching of the others, they always remove 

 them from the nest; and, in the present case, the remaining eggs are soon 

 removed, and may sometimes be seen strewn about in the vicinity of the 

 nest. In the case of the Cuckoo matters are differently managed, for the 

 young bird of that species very ungratefully jostles out of the nest all his 

 foster-brothers and sisters, that he may have room enough for himself. If 

 we are fond of admiring the wisdom of Nature, we ought to mingle reason 

 with our admiration; and here we might be tempted to suspect her not so 

 wise as we had imagined, for why should the poor Yellow-throat have been 

 put to the trouble of laying all these eggs, if they are, after all, to produce 

 nothing? This is a mystery to me; nevertheless, my belief in the wisdom 

 of Nature is not staggered by it. 



As the young Cow-bird grows up, its foster-parents provide for it with 

 great assiduity, and manifest all the concern and uneasiness at the intrusion 

 of a stranger, that they would do were their own offspring under their charge. 

 When fully fledged, the young bird is of a sooty-brown colour. Long after 

 it has left the nest, it continues to be fed by its affectionate guardians, until 

 it is at length able to provide for itself. 



Towards the end of September, the old and young Cow-birds congregate 

 in vast numbers, and are seen wending their way southward, sometimes by 

 themselves, more frequently intermingled with other species, such as the 

 Purple Grakles and the Redwings, which they join in their plundering 

 expeditions. They are to be seen in the Middle States until near the end of 

 October, although unusually severe weather sometimes forces them south- 

 ward at an earlier period. 



This species derives its name from the circumstance of its frequenting 

 cow-pens. In this respect it greatly resembles the European Starling. Like 

 that bird it follows the cattle in the fields, often alights on their backs, and 

 may be seen diligently searching for worms and larvae among their dung. 

 In spring, the cattle in many parts of the United States are much infested 

 with intestinal worms, which they pass in great quantities, and on these the 

 Cow-bird frequently makes a delicious repast. 



It has no song properly so called, but utters a low muttering sort of 

 chuckle, in performing which, it is seen to swell out its throat, and move the 

 feathers there in succession, in a manner very much resembling that of the 

 European Starling. 



The young bird from which I made the present figure was sent to me by 

 my friend Thomas Nuttall, Esq., through Dr. Trudeau. It is the same 

 as that described by the former gentleman under the name of "Ambiguous 

 Sparrow, Fringilla ambigua" at p. 4S5 of his Manual of the Ornithology 

 of the United States and of Canada. On inspecting it, however, I at once 



