cow BUNTING 



153 



" genial to their feelings^ or find a richer repast in following the 

 " cattle in a better pasture.^ 



" In autumn we often find them congregated with the marsh 

 " Blackbirds, committing their common depredations upon the ears 

 " of the Indian corn; and at other seasons the similarity of their 

 " pursuits in feeding introduces them into the same company. I 

 " could never observe that they would keep the company of any 

 " other bird. 



" The Cow-pen finch differs moreover in another respect from 

 " all the birds with which I am acquainted. After an observance 

 " of many years I could never discover any thing like pairing or a 

 " mutual attachment betw^een the sexes. Even in the season of 

 " love, when other birds are separated into pairs, and occupied in 

 the endearing office of providing a receptacle for their offspring, 

 " the Fringillse are seen feeding in odd as well as even numbers, 

 " from one to twenty, and discovering no more disposition towards 

 " perpetuating their species than birds of any other species at 

 " other seasons, excepting a promiscuous concubinage which per- , 

 " vades the whole tribe. When the female separates from the com- 

 " pany, her departure is not noticed ; no gallant partner accompa- 

 " nies her, nor manifests any solicitude in her absence; nor is her 

 " return greeted by that gratulatory tenderness that so eminently 

 " characterizes the males of other birds. The male proffers the 

 " same civilities to any female indiscriminately, and they are reci- 



* "It may not be improper to remark here, that the appearance of this bird in spring is 

 " sometimes looked for with anxiety by the farmers. If the horned cattle happen to be dis- 

 " eased in spring they ascribe it to worms, and consider the pursuit of the birds as an uner- 

 " ring indication of the necessity of medicine. Altho this hypothesis of the worms infesting 

 " the cattle so as to produce much disease is problematical, their superabundance at this sea- 

 " son cannot be denied. The larvae of several species are deposited in the vegetables when 

 " green, and the cattle are fed on them as fodder in winter. This furnishes the principal in- 

 " ducement for the bird to follow the cattle in spring, when the aperient effects of the green 

 " grasses evacuates great numbers of worms. At this season the Pecoris often stuffs its crop 

 " with them till it can contain no more. There are several species, but the most numerous 

 " is a small white one similar to, if not the same, as the ascaris of the human species. 



VOL. II. Q^q 



