cow BUNTING. 
191 
“ bottom, and the ascent perpendicular; nevertheless the eggs 
“ were removed although filled with young ones; moreover, a 
“ young Cow-pen finch is as helpless as any other young bird, 
‘‘ and so far from having the power of ejecting others from the 
“ nest, or even the eggs, that they are sometimes found on the 
“ ground under the nest, especially when the nest happens to 
“ be very small. I will not assert that the eggs of the builder of 
“ the nest are never hatched; but I can assert that I have never 
“ been able to find one instance to prove the affirmative. If all 
“the eggs of both birds were to be hatched, in some cases the nest 
“ would not hold half of them; for instance, those of the Spar- 
“ row, or Yellow-bird. I will not assert that the supposititious 
“ egg is brought to perfection in less time than those of the bird 
“ to which the nest belongs; but from the fact stated, I am in- 
“ dined to adopt such an opinion. How are the eggs removed 
“ after the accouchement of the spurious occupant? By the pro- 
“ prietor of the nest unquestionably; for this is consistent with 
“ the rest of her economy. After the power of hatching them 
“ is taken away by her attention to the young stranger, the eggs 
“ would be only an incumbrance, and therefore instinct prompts 
“ her to remove them. I might add, that I have sometimes 
‘ ‘ found the ■ eggs of the Sparrow, in which were unmatured 
“ young ones, lying near the nest, containing a Cow-bird, and 
“ therefore I cannot resist this conclusion. Would the foster 
“ parent feed two species of young at the same time? I believe 
“ not. I have never seen an instance of any bird feeding the 
“ young of another, unless immediately after losing her own. 
“ I should think the sooty looking stranger would scarcely in- 
“ terest a mother while the cries of her own offspring, always 
“ intelligible, were to be heard. Should such a competition 
“ ever take place, I judge the stranger would be the sufferer, 
“ and probably the species soon become extinct. Why the lex 
“ naturse conservatrix should decide in favour of the surrep- 
“ titious progeny is not for me to determine. 
“ As to the vocal powers of this bird, I believe its pretensions 
“ are very humble, none of its notes deserving the epithet mu- 
