300 
COW BUNTING. 
Blue Bird’s nest in the hollow stump, the cavity was a foot 
deep, the nest at the bottom, and the ascent perpendicular ; 
nevertheless the egg s 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 Sparrow, 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 facts stated, I am inclined to 
adopt such an opinion. How are the eggs removed after the 
accouchement of the spurious occupant ? By the proprietor 
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 encumbrance, 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 there- 
fore 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 j^oung 
of another, unless immediately after losing her own. I should 
think the sooty looking stranger would scarcely interest a 
mother while the cries of her own offspring, always intel- 
ligible, 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 
naturce conservatrix should decide in favour of the surreptitious 
progeny is not for me to determine. 
