106 
OUR HOME BIRDS. 
adopt it as his own, feeding it with all the care arid 
tenderness of the most affectionate nurse. When he 
found that the grasshopper which he had brought it 
was 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 it and examining it all over, and in picking off 
any particles of dirt that he observed on its plumage. 
It was a very pretty sight to see him teaching and 
encouraging it to eat. 
“ The story goes on to say : ‘ The cow-bird is now 
six months old, is in complete plumage, and repays 
the affectionate services of his foster-parent with a 
frequent display of all the musical talents with which 
Nature has gifted him. These, it must be confessed, 
are far from being ravishing, yet for their singularity 
are worthy of notice. He spreads his wings, swells 
his body into a globular form, bristling every feather 
in the manner of a turkey-cock, and with great seem- 
ing difficulty utters a few low, spluttering notes, as 
if proceeding from his belly ; always, on these occa- 
sions, strutting in front of the spectator with great 
consequential affectation/ 
“ The red-bird, it seems, listened attentively to all 
this splutter, as though he really thought it quite a 
