COW B UNTING. 297 



blue bird had built for three successive seasons in the cavity 

 of a mulberry tree near my dwelling. One day, when the 

 nest was nearly finished, I discovered a female cow bird 

 perched upon a fence stake near it, with her eyes apparently 

 fixed upon the spot, while the builder was busy in adjusting 

 her nest. The moment she left it, the intruder darted into it, 

 and in five minutes returned, and sailed off to her companions 

 with seeming delight, which she expressed by her gestures 

 and notes. The blue bird soon returned and entered the 

 nest, but instantaneously fluttered back with much apparent 

 hesitation, and perched upon the highest branch of the tree, 

 uttering a rapidly repeated note of complaint and resentment, 

 which soon brought the male, who reciprocated her feelings 

 by every demonstration of the most vindictive resentment. 

 They entered the nest together and returned several times, 

 uttering their uninterrupted complaints for ten or fifteen 

 minutes. The male then darted away to the neighbouring 

 trees as if in quest of the offender, and fell upon a cat bird, 

 which he chastised severely, and then turned to an innocent 

 sparrow that was chanting its ditty in a peach tree. Not- 

 withstanding the affront was so passionately resented, I found 

 the blue bird had laid an egg the next day. Perhaps a 

 tenant less attached to a favourite spot would have acted 

 more fastidiously, by deserting the premises altogether. In 

 this instance, also, I determined to watch the occurrences 

 that were to follow ; but on one of my morning visits, I found 

 the common enemy of the eggs and young of all the small 

 birds had despoiled the nest, — a coluber was found coiled in 

 the hollow, and the eggs sucked. 



" Agreeably to my observation, all the young birds destined 

 to cherish the young cow bird are of a mild and affectionate 

 disposition ; and it is not less remarkable that they are all 

 smaller than the intruder; the blue bird is the only one 

 nearly as large. This is a good-natured mild creature, 

 although it makes a vigorous defence when assaulted. The 

 yellow-throat, the sparrow, the goldfinch, the indigo bird, 



