21 
However, a Canaiy liail built a nice nest high up near the roof and 
one (Imv I thought I woukl see if the hen had laid, as she seemed to 1)e fuss- 
ing about a lot. There was an egg right enough, and as I could not see it 
and could only judge by the feel I thought what a whopper. Upon with- 
drawing niy hand with the egg I could see it was no Canary's egg; then I 
wondered which bird had laid it, and why she should have done so in a nest 
Other than lier own. Then the thought struck me that it must be the >Silky 
Covvbird (I felt confident it was not the Ru<idy-shouldered, having seen an 
egg of these ))irds the season before) being aware of the Cuckoo-like habit 
of placing their eggs in the nests of other birds. Then referring to a des- 
cription of the eggs of various species of Cowbirds and comparing the one 
I had there was no further mysterj', for it was a Silky's egg right enough. 
I did not take notes or particulars of the egg, but from memory I should 
say it was about the size of an English Thrush's egg, rather long, and 
jiarrovv, particularly at one end, the other end being covered with red 
spots or splashes, giving it quite a pretty effect. 
Here was the egg but what to do with it was another question. To 
leave it where I had found it was to have it destroyed, or at any rate never 
incubated for the Scarlet Tanager above mentioned would not allow the 
Canary to sit for any length of time, and I knew sooner or later the Canary 
would get disgusted and throw the matter up. However, another Canary 
started laying about this time, and being caged, I placed the Silkj''s egg 
under her. She sat alright, and at the end of a week, upon trying the eggs 
strange to relate, the Canaries own eggs were infertile, but the Cowbirds was 
fertile. This was an extremely ])Ieasant surprise for generall)' speaking the 
thing one wants most in birdy matters does not materialise. The next few 
days were anxious ones, fear that the hen would cease .sitting or the egg 
would not hatch predominated, but I also began to wonder whether the hen 
would feed tlie foreigner, provided it came to life, and what would be the 
most suitable food to give her if she decided to feed. 
The egg hatched on the fourteenth day. The colour of the flesh was 
a deep yellow, and this intensified the darkness of the eyes for they ajipeared 
to be too large for the rest of the body. Perhaps I should have said, what 
would have been eyes, for of course the}' were not opened. What the 
Canary thought of the stranger I do not know, but she decided to nurse her 
offspring, and I saw her feed it the first day. The second morning I 
examined the youngster more, and it was covered with a black down, con- 
siderably coarser than the down which j'oung Canaries possess, and was 
lively enough, opening its month immediately one touched its beak, and it 
was no small mouth either. I had thought seriously of aiding the hen in 
feeding and this decided me, for apparently there would be no difficulty in 
<loing so. With regard to food I gave the hen plenty of watercress and 
dandelion, and thinking the young Cowbird would want something more 
than plain egg food I soaked some ants' eggs and mixed with the food. 
