132 
COW BLACKBIRD. 
Young female. Similar to the adult, but darker, with a more decided gloss to the feathers above. There are indica¬ 
tions of dusky maxillary lines, and the streakings below are more prominent. 
Nestlings. Similar to the young female, but streaked below with yellowish-white, the throat is overwashed with yel¬ 
low. There are decided maxillary lines, and indications of whitish wing bars. 
OBSERVATIONS. 
There is a general uniformity of coloration among the males, but the females vary somewhat for there are occasionally 
maxillary lines and some are darker above than others. There are seldom any black feathers in this sex but a specimen in 
the collection of Masters Edward A. and Outram Bangs has a patch on one side of the breast and a few feathers on other por¬ 
tions tipped with black, giving it a singular appearance. This species assumes a plumage quite similar to the adult the 
first season and, contrary to the rule among this Order, the nestlings moult the wing and tail feathers. These are much 
broader in the first plumage than in the second, and the barbs of the webs are much farther apart giving the feathers a 
coarse appearance. Thus I find that a secondary of the first plumage has five barbs to every ten hundredths of an inch 
while there are only four in one of the second, both feathers being taken from the same specimen. The feathers are also 
broader at first, and under the microscope the barbules are seen to be wider and provided with pectinations on both sides 
as far as the curve which serves to interlock them with neighboring barbules. Known from all others by the plumage as 
described. Distributed in summer throughout the Middle and Southern sections of the United States. Winters in the 
Southern States as far south as Northern Florida. 
DIMENSIONS. 
Average measurements of ten male specimens. Length, 7'69; stretch, 13'58; wing, 4 - 37; tail, 2'95; bill, '67; tarsus, 
•95. Longest specimen, 7 - 75; greatest extent ofwing, 13'65; longest wing, 4'45; tail, 3* 15; bill, '68; tarsus, 100. Shortest 
specimen, 7 - 61; smallest extent of wing, 13‘52; shortest wing, 4'30; tail, 2-82; bill, '65; tarsus, - 90. 
Average measurements of fourteen female specimens. Length, 6‘82; stretch, 11'80; wing, 3'85; tail, 2"55; bill, - 60; tar¬ 
sus, ‘80. Longest specimen, 6(>1; greatest extent of wing, WOO; longest wing, 3‘95; tail, 2-06; bill, - 65; tarsus, - 95. 
Shortest specimen, 7'12; smallest extent of wing, 11'61; shortest wing, 3'70; tail, 2 - 40; bill, ’55; tarsus, ‘85. 
DESCRIPTION OF EGGS. 
Eggs, elliptical inform, ashy-white in color, spotted and blotched irregularly with yellowish-brown and lilac. Some¬ 
times the eggs will be nearly white, there being but few spots, while occasionally the surface will be so covered thattheback 
ground is quite obscured. They vary greatly in size also as will be seen in the following measurements. Dimensions 
from •60,x'72. to '93, x 80. 
HABITS. 
Far back in my childhood, when all nature was full of delightful mysteries, I noticed 
a Chipping Sparrow busily engaged in feeding a young bird that was nearly double its own 
size. This singular reversing of the usual order of things attracted my attention and, al¬ 
though I was too young to follow up the matter that season, I never forgot the incident. 
Then little by little the problem became solved and one of the first unaided discoveries 
that I ever made in Ornithology was the parasitical habits of the Cow Blackbird. I pre¬ 
sume that there is scarcely a person in the country who is at all interested in birds, but 
what is aware of the singular propensity of the Cow Blackbird to deposit its eggs in the 
nests of other birds. They are also quite singular in almost all of their habits especially 
when breeding. 
They arrive in New England during the latter part of March or early in April in com¬ 
pany with other Blackbirds, being seldom seen in flocks by themselves at this season. The 
males arrive first, and as soon as the females make their appearance, associate in small 
companies. The former named sex predominate, there being at least three of them to one 
female. At this time the males have a singular song that consists of two notes which, 
although given with great energy and evidently costing the bird a great efiort, are far from 
being musical; for it is a kind of hiss combined with a croak. The Cow Birds are capable 
of uttering a much better song, and one that I kept in confinement would give a series of 
beautiful, liquid notes and never indulged in the uncouth performance above described. 
