The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1871-03-27
A Feathered Pirate.

DARK AND OBVIOUS WAYS OF A DRNIZEN
OF THE MAINE WOODS.
A gentleman in Skowhegan recently had
his curiosity very much excited by seeing a
sparrow feeding young bird larger than it.
self-"o kind ofstep-mother procedure which
as he explained to the Reporter She did not
understand" Professor Hamlin of Colby
such that there a great many people in
his own State who have not yet found out
that he is a man of extraordinary acquire
ments in the department of study to which he
devotes himself, and that he is rapidly gain
ing an enviable place among scientific men
gives the following interesting explanation in
the columns of the Reporter:
The birds of all America, to their credit be
it said, with but single known exception,
mate, and rear their young in honest wedlock; ;
and setting good example to unfeathered BIZ
peds never resort to bills of divorce. The one
exception to the rule of pairing is afforded by
bird that is very common among us, Known
as the Cow-Blackbird, Cow-Bunting or Cow
bird. 1t is about as large as the Boblink, and
.he male is in color black, with Drown head
and neck, while the female is sooty.brown,
paler beneath. These birds are never known
to mate or build nests. A general concubin-
age prevails among them, and, as a natural
consequence, they shirk wholly the care and
labor Of Matching their eggs and rearing their
young. 81 When the breeding season comes, the
female stealthily deposits her. eggs in the nests
OF birds smaller than herself, in the absence
of the owners, dropping one egg, only, in
nest. This egg is always hatched earlier
than those of the nurse-bird, and on this sim
gular circumstance the whole success of the
mposture depends. Why this takes place is
not certainly known, but the most probable
explanation seems TO be that given by INITIAL,
who says, that the "larger egg brought nearer
to the body (ofthe setting bird), is better
warmed and sooner hatched." Indeed, the
eggs OF the owner of the nest are seldom or
never Matched. Wilson asserts that he was
not able to learn of an instance OF the hatch
ing of any of the eggs, except that Of the Cow
bird. Nuttalpss words imply that he had
found both kinds of young in one nest, for he
says: "From the great size of the parasite,
the Legitimate young are often stifed, and
when dead are conveyed, as usual, byI the
duped patents to distance before being
dropped; but are never found immediately
beneath the nest, as would invariably happen
if they were elected by ithe young Cow-blrd."
Bereft OF her own offspring, the foster
mother adopts the "squatter," and nurses it
with the same fond care that she would have
lavished upon her rightful progeny. But as
she has to feed big and greedy giutton, her
task is hard one. This fact will explain
why the Sparrow, observed by Mr.. Totman,
was $50 very hungry" SpaIrows are. with
us, the birds that are usually seen feeding the
young OF the Ccw-brd, simply because the
various sparrows come about our houses. and
therefore come under our notice.
The bird ofteneSt doomed to rear these
"children of iniquity" is the gentle and affec-
tionate Red-eyed Vireo, which habituaIly
keeps to the woods, though it occasionally
appears about the outskirts of villages. This
bird is one OF the commousst and sweetest
songsters of our forests, and though its notes
are familiar to all, few know it by sight, 1t
builds pretty basket-shaped nest that NAV
be known by these two characters, that it al
ways hangs in the fork of small branch
otenest OF the maple, and has woven into II
thin shreds of white birch bark, the ends of
which hang loose on the outside.
The blue-bird is the largest bird that is
Known to perform this office of nurse bnt
the smallest one that have known TO act in
this capacity is the tiny Nashville Warbler
The weight of the latter cannot he moro
than one-third of that of an average sized
sparrow, judging from stuffed specimens of
both before; me. On June 9Th, 1859, l found
the nest of pair of this species; and in
it were three of their own eggs and one of
the Cow-bird. / wished much to watch
the Matching and subsequent operations
in ithis case, for l had never heard or read
of lanother like it, but being just then in
want of specimens of the bird, its nest and
esps' netted the mother, and carried on the
ne. nest with Its contents. The total weight of
t 1,ha 'nree Warhler's eggs was 3:1-10 grammes,
, mne st ha equals Is 43 100 grains) which
IL
Oh the single Cow-bird's eggs. which had
however, unfortunately blown betora u ooonr'
ed 10 me 10 try their weight. II 10 49,. 49,
credible that so small bird az th;s @,nost M
50 large ana voracious ward as tho la ,eai
Cow-Dird. Her eggs are the smallest T'IIuns
ever seen, except these OF the Hummino Rird
The European Cuckoos, and a fan niro.
old world species, have the villainons o.n n
pensity above described, but the Ameryg; pro
Cuckoos are in this respect unlike their trans
atlantic relatives. ''""'-
Few persons are aware how many kinds of
birds are found in this region, which is one of
the most interesting to the ornitholopist in
the whole country. The writer has made out
no less. than 140 species to be residents or Wis.
itors in and arc Ind Waterville. All but
about dozen OF these have been studied from
specimens in hand Still others will be found
here. With the aid of SamuePs "Birds of
New England" our cheapest and latest book |
81 ornifhoogy, any one can alter little prac.
nee, identify birds fof>himself.
Is TO be regretted that so few persons |
iote down what they observe Any acca-
,o'esy stated facts, relating to Natural Histo-
~ y, IKE those communicated by Mr.. Totman,
u valuable. if they do not embodv new
d I, they may confirm or correct old ones.
iuidfeds OF specimens, besides, are every