essed gentleman--and may have even
a slightly clerical air--in his closely fitting suit of glossy black,
with its greenish and purplish iridescence, and his hood of rich
metallic brown covering his head, neck, and chest. He makes a poor
shift as a musician, but his failure is not due to lack of effort, for
during courtship days he does his level best to sing a variety of
tunes, expanding and distorting his throat, fluffing up his feathers,
spreading out his wings and tail, his purpose evidently being to make
himself as fascinating as possible in the eyes of his lady love. One
of his calls sounds like "spreele," piped in so piercing a key that it
seems almost to perforate your brain.

One observer maintains that the cowbirds are not only parasitical in
their habits, but are also absolutely devoid of conjugal affection,
practicing polyandry, and seldom even mating. This is a serious
charge, but it is doubtless true, for even during the season of
courtship and breeding these birds live in flocks of six to twelve, the
males almost always outnumbering the females. However, if their family
relations are somewhat irregular, no one can accuse them of engaging in
brawls, as so many other birds do, for both males and females seem to
be on the most amicable terms with one another, and are, to all
appearances, entirely free from jealousy. Who has ever seen two
cowbirds fighting a duel like the orioles, meadowlarks, and robins?

In obtruding her eggs into the nests of other birds, Madame Cowbird is
sly and stealthy. She does not drive the rightful owners from their
nests, but simply watches her opportunity to drop her eggs into them
when they are unguarded. No doubt she has been on the alert while her
industrious neighbors have been constructing their domiciles, and knows
where almost every nest in the vicinity is hidden. Says Major Charles
Bendire: "In rare instances only will a fresh cowbird's egg be found
among incubated ones of the rightful owners. I have observed this only
on a single occasion." From one to seven eggs of the parasite are
found in the nests of the dupes. In most cases the number is two, but
in the case of ground builders the cowbird seems to have little fear of
overdoing her imposition. Major Bendire says that he once found the
nest of an oven-bird containing seven cowbird's eggs and only one of
the little owner's.

If parasitism were the only crime of the cowbird one would not feel so
much dispos