. The oist . On June 2Oth, twodays later, the nest was again visited,and the cuckoos eggs were foundbroken, on the ground beneath thenest, while the structure itself heldtwo cowbirds eggs. Is it necessaryto state that the cuckoo deserted? Again—A wood thrush started anest not far from my home and hadgot as far as laying two eggs in itwhen she was disturbed by a cowbirdlaying also two eggs in it. The thrushimmediately stopped laying and as herfull set would have been four, it canreadily be seen that the cowbird wasresponsible for the absence of theother two thrushes that ordinarilywould have be
. The oist . On June 2Oth, twodays later, the nest was again visited,and the cuckoos eggs were foundbroken, on the ground beneath thenest, while the structure itself heldtwo cowbirds eggs. Is it necessaryto state that the cuckoo deserted? Again—A wood thrush started anest not far from my home and hadgot as far as laying two eggs in itwhen she was disturbed by a cowbirdlaying also two eggs in it. The thrushimmediately stopped laying and as herfull set would have been four, it canreadily be seen that the cowbird wasresponsible for the absence of theother two thrushes that ordinarilywould have been born. We will now trace the incubationof the two thrushes eggs and the twoeggs of the cowbird, as it actuallyhappened. The thrushes eggs hatchedin due time and the young promisedto become perfect specimens of theirtribe. Mother Thrush patiently saton the two cowbirds eggs, which didnot hatch for three days after thebirth of her own young, for the reasonthat they were laid approximately THE OOLOGIST 109. No. 64. Set Turkey Vultures eggs with runt egg. -Photo bv R. :\I. Barnes. three days later. Will the readerplease bear in mind that during thesethree days or extra incubation, as faras the writer could observe, thethrush neglected to feed her ownyoung? Thus their growth and vigor wasstunted at the start. However, whenthe young cowbirds were hatched theyimmediately started to grow withgreat rapidity. They put on theirfeathers twice as fast as the youngthrushes and here is where the harmcomes in. As is the case with man-kind, to give extra attention to thestrong and robust, and neglect theweak, so it is with the birds. , her poor, misled heart filledwith .ioy at the wonderous develop-ment of the two orphans, spent allher time, gave all her food to them.■\Vhen the nest was visited after aninterval of three days, the young thrushes were the only occupants ofit. Their physical condition was piti-ful. Their feathers were not half whatthey should have been. They seemed
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, booksubjectbirds, bookyear1886
