. American ornithology for the home and school . dislodged by the latteras they feed. It is no uncommon sight to see them perched on thebacks of some of these animals, where they will sit for a long time inapparent contentment. In New England they are not so common, yetI rarely spend a day in the woods without meeting with several ofthem. 202 AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY. They appear to be ashamed of their conduct and are always skulkingabout the underbrush as if fearing to meet anyone. They display agreat deal of cunning in watching their opportunity when the owner ofa nest is away when they will sne
. American ornithology for the home and school . dislodged by the latteras they feed. It is no uncommon sight to see them perched on thebacks of some of these animals, where they will sit for a long time inapparent contentment. In New England they are not so common, yetI rarely spend a day in the woods without meeting with several ofthem. 202 AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY. They appear to be ashamed of their conduct and are always skulkingabout the underbrush as if fearing to meet anyone. They display agreat deal of cunning in watching their opportunity when the owner ofa nest is away when they will sneak up and deposit a surreptitious hastily retire. It does not seem possible that they can do thiswithout the knowledge of the owner of the nest that they employ, andstill more improbable does it seem that many of the birds in whosehomes we find these superfluous eggs would knowingly submit to theirbeing placed there. I have found these eggs in the nest of the. King-bird, a feathered pugilist, who will allow no other bird in the vicinity. RED-EYED VIREOS NEST WITH COWBIRDS EGG. of his own home. It is to be noted that in nearly every instance theCowbird will choose the nest of a bird smaller than itself on which tothrust its offspring. There are two reasons given for this choice. Itmay be because they fear the wrath of a larger bird in case they arediscovered, or it may be in order that their young will have a betterchance of thriving. It is true that their young do always thrive muchto the detriment of the legitimate ones. They being larger and strong-er get a great deal more than their share of the food that is , Sparrows, and Vireos suffer to the greatest extent^fromtheiruvisits, and many young of these species are undoubtedly killedyearly because of the Cowbird. AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY. 203
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