COW BUNTING. 
287 
the Cuckoo of Europe ( Cuculus canorus) never built herself a 
nest, but dropt her eggs in the nests of other birds ; but, among 
the thousands of different species that spread over that and other 
parts of the globe, no other instance of the same uniform 
habit has been found to exist, until discovered in the bird now 
before us. Of the reality of the former there is no doubt ; it 
is known to every schoolboy in Britain ; of the truth of the 
latter I can myself speak with confidence, from personal obser- 
vation, and from the testimony of gentlemen, unknown to each 
other, residing in different and distant parts of the United 
States. The circumstances by which I became first acquainted 
with this peculiar habit of the bird are as follows : — 
I had, in numerous instances, found, in the nests of three 
or four particular species of birds, one egg, much larger, and 
differently marked from those beside it ; I had remarked, that 
these odd-looking eggs were all of the same colour, and 
marked nearly in the same manner, in whatever nest they lay, 
though frequently the eggs beside them were of a quite 
different tint ; and I had also been told, in a vague way, that 
the Cow Bird laid in other birds’ nests* At length I detected 
the female of this very bird in the nest of the Red-eyed 
Flycatcher, which nest is very small, and very singularly 
constructed. Suspecting her purpose, I cautiously withdrew 
without disturbing her ; and had the satisfaction to find, on my 
return, that the egg which she had just dropt corresponded as 
nearly as eggs of the same species usually do, in its size, tint, 
and markings, to those formerly taken notice of. Since that 
time, I have found the young Cow Bunting, in many instances, 
in the nests of one or other of these small birds ; I have 
seen these last followed by the young Cow Bird calling out 
clamorously for food, and often engaged in feeding it ; and 
I have now, in a cage before me, a very fine one, which, six 
months ago, I took from the nest of the Maryland Yellow- 
throat, and from which the figures of the young bird and male 
Cow Bird in the plate were taken : the figure in the act of 
feeding it, is the female Maryland Yellow-throat, in whose 
