82 
COW BUNTING. 
only in a more rapidly repeated monotony. The deportment of the 
male, during his promiscuous intercourse with the other sex, resembles 
much that of a pigeon in the same situation. He uses nearly the 
same gestures ; and by attentively listening you will hear a low, gut- 
tural sort of muttering, which is the most agreeable of his notes, and 
not unlike the cooing of a pigeon. This, sir, is the amount of my 
information on this subject ; and is no more than a transcript from my 
notes made several years ago. For ten years past since I have lived in 
this city, many of the impressions of nature have been effaced, and 
artificial ideas have occupied their places. The pleasure I formerly 
received in viewing and examining the objects of nature, are, however, 
not entirely forgotten ; and those which remain, if they can interest 
you, are entirely at your service. With the sincerest wishes for the 
success of your useful and arduous undertaking, 
" I am, dear sir, 
" Yours, very respectfully, 
" Nathaniel Potter." 
To the above very interesting detail I shall add the following recent 
fact which fell under my own observation, and conclude my account of 
this singular species. 
In the month of July last I took from the nest of the Maryland 
Yellow-throat, which was built among the dry leaves at the root of a 
briar bush, a young male Cow Bunting, which filled and occupied the 
whole nest. I had previously watched the motions of the foster parents 
for more than an hour, in order to ascertain whether any more of their 
young were lurking about or not ; and was fully satisfied that there 
were none. They had in all probability perished in the manner before 
mentioned. I took this bird home with me, and placed it in the same 
cage with a Red-bird (Loxia cardinalis), who, at first, and for several 
minutes after, examined it closely, and seemingly with great curiosity. 
It soon became clamorous for food, and from that moment the Red-bird 
seemed to adopt it as his own, feeding it with all the assiduity and ten- 
derness of the most affectionate nurse. When he found that the grass- 
hopper which he had brought it Avas too large for it to swallow, he took 
the insect from it, broke it in small portions, chewed them a little to 
soften them, and with all the gentleness and delicacy imaginable put 
them separately into its mouth. He often spent several minutes in 
looking at and examining it all over, and in picking off any particles 
of dirt that he observed on its plumage. In teaching and encouraging 
it to learn to eat of itself, he often reminded me of the lines of 
Goldsmith, 
He tried each art, reproved each dull delay, 
Allured to "fao'ritefood," and led the way. 
