COW BUNTING. 
217 
nature have been effaced, and artificial ideas have occu- 
pied their places. The pleasure I formerly received in 
viewing and examining the objects of nature, are, how- 
ever, not entirely forgotten ; and those which remain, 
if they can interest you, are entirely at your service. 
With the sincerest wishes for the success of your useful 
and arduous undertaking, — I am, dear sir, yours, very 
respectfully, Nathaniel Potter.” 
To the above very interesting detail, I shall add the 
following recent fact, which fell under my own observa- 
tion, and conclude my account of this singular species. 
/ In the month of July last, I took from the nest of the 
Maryland yellow-throat, which was built among the dry 
leaves at the root of a brier bush, a young male cow 
bunting, which filled and occupied the whole nest. I 
had previously watched the motions of the foster parents 
for more than an hour, in order to ascertain whether 
any more of their young were lurking about or not ; 
and was fully satisfied that there were none. They had, 
in all probability, perished in the manner before men- 
tioned. I took this bird home with me, and placed it 
in the same cage with a red-bird (loxia cardinalis 
who, at first, and for several minutes after, examined it 
closely, and seemingly with great curiosity. It soon 
became clamorous for food, and, from that moment, the 
red-bird seemed to adopt it as his own, feeding it with 
all the assiduity and 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 and examining it all over, and in picking off any 
particles of dirt that he observed on its plumage. In 
teaching and encouraging it to learn to eat of itself, he 
often reminded me of the lines of Goldsmith, 
He tried each art, reproved each dull delay, 
Allured to “ fav'rite food and led the way. 
