Editorial. 
55 
" birds at least as harmless and usually more attractive Had I removed 
" both the Cowbird's eggs, the bird would almost certainly have deserted 
" her home. So, as the nest was in a convenient situation for observation 
" — in a bush alongside a path, and close to the house where I was staying 
" — and as I was curious to watch happenings in the little cradle when the 
"heterogeneous family should be born, 1 left the eggs untouched." 
" The nest was found at Rhimebeck, N. Y., on July 6th, 1900, incuba- 
" tion having just started. Four days later I discovered that one of the 
" Cowbird's eggs was infertile ; so I removed it disappointed that I 
" should not, after all, enjoy the somewhat unique experience of observing 
"two young ('owbirds growing u)) in the same nest. It was sometime dur- 
" ing the night of July 13 —14 that the Cowbird's egg hatched — the 
" Warblers hatched between 12 and 12-;}0 on the 14th. The nicety with 
" which matters had been so arranged that the young Cowbird would have 
" just a convenient start in life over its unfortunate rival commanded at 
" least my admiration if not my sympathy. Cowbirds must indeed be 
"sharp nest finders to be able to discover at short notice not only the nests 
"of suitable kinds of birds, but even nests containing eggs at a certain 
" sta^e of incubation ! " 
The above interesting details I have given practically in 
extensn. It certainly was regrettable that one egg was infertile, as 
interesting data were thereby lost — would both Cowbirds have pre- 
ceded the Warbler ? Most certainly in such case the Warbler 
must have been ci'ushed out of existence at once, the nest being 
utterly inadequate for the purpose ; one of the photos illustrating 
the ai"ticle shows the sides of the nest distended with the partially 
fledged Cowbird : causing one to deduce that the two Cowbirds 
could not have been reared therein — this, however, can only be 
supposition, as many species exhibit ingenuity, amounting almrst 
to reason, in meeting domestic diflficnlties. 
" After the hatching of the eggs 1 spent considerable time at the 
"nest-side, and observed with interest the many pretty little incidents of a 
" bird's domestic life — the constant and tender brooding by both Warblers 
" in turn ; the never-ceasing search among the neighbouring trees and 
"bushes for small caterpillars ; the delivery of the food by the male to the 
" brooding female, who in turn would raise herself and pass it to the 
"young ; the careful clt^ansing of the nest ; and many othei' intimate details 
"of the birds' loving and hai)py lives." 
" When I drew aside the leaves that sheltered the nest and allowed 
" the sun to shine upon it for the purpo.ses of photograjAy, the mother, 
"realizing with that wonderful instinct common to all birds which nest in 
" the shade, the fatal effect on her babies of the sun's rays, would take her 
"stand on the edge of the nest and with outstretched wings would form of 
"her own body a living shield for the comfort and protection of her young 
" As the young birds began to grow, the Cowbird not only maintained 
