COW BUNTING. 
297 
Blue Bird had built for three successive seasons in the cavity 
of a mulberry tree near my dwelling. One day, when the 
nest was nearly finished, I discovered a female Cow Bird 
perched upon a fence stake near it, with her eyes apparently 
fixed upon the spot, while the builder was busy in adjusting 
her nest. The moment she left it, the intruder darted into it, 
and in five minutes returned, and sailed off to her companions 
with seeming delight, which she expressed by her gestures 
and notes. The Blue Bird soon returned and entered the 
nest, but instantaneously fluttered back with much apparent 
hesitation, and perched upon the highest branch of the tree, 
uttering a rapidly repeated note of complaint and resentment, 
which soon brought the male, who reciprocated her feelings 
by every demonstration of the most vindictive resentment. 
They entered the nest together, and returned several times, 
uttering their uninterrupted complaints for ten or fifteen 
minutes. The male then darted away to the neighbouring 
trees as if in quest of the offender, and fell upon a Cat Bird, 
which he chastised severely, and then turned to an innocent 
Sparrow that was chanting its ditty in a peach tree. Not- 
withstanding the affront was so passionately resented, I found 
the Blue Bird had laid an egg the next day. Perhaps a 
tenant less attached to a favourite spot would have acted more 
fastidiously, by deserting the premises altogether. In this 
instance, also, I determined to watch the occurrences that 
were to follow ; but on one of my morning visits, I found the 
common enemy of the eggs and young of all the small birds 
had despoiled the nest, — a Coluber was found coiled in the 
hollow, and the eggs sucked. 
44 Agreeably to my observation, all the young birds destined 
to cherish the young Cow Bird are of a mild and affectionate 
disposition ; and it is not less remarkable, that they are all 
smaller than the intruder ; the Blue Bird is the only one 
nearly as large. This is a good natured mild creature, although 
it makes a vigorous defence when assaulted. The Yellow- 
throat, the Sparrow, the Goldfinch, the Indigo Bird, and the 
