The San Francisco call., 1909-08-21
GREEDY COWBRD AND HIS FOSTER PARENT,

HE scene OF this little story was a
small box. which the children had
placed near the back door and
upon which they spread crumbs. daily,
for the birds Many visitors had
stopped timidly at this refreshmerst
table and scurried off at the slightest
alarm. but there was one tinv fellow
whose confidence was perfect and who
soon came 10 be known as dear LITTLE
ehippy."
His nest was in the ounce tree NOT
Tar away. and while his MAZE wa
hrooding he was her gallant and brave
lover. taking her many bite from
the children's table He had come to
ne an old familiar friend to the family
Mhen one day he came up escorting a
.sfger bird, which, 10 the surprise. of
the beholders, he began feeding.
II was the old story, so familiar TO
II bird students. and the father ex-
planned that the big baby was cow
hlrd- The mother cowbird had. ac-
cording to the invariabl custom of her
species, neglected TO build a nest. but
had crept stealthily into the home of
another bird, smaller than herself.
leaVlng her egg there TO be Matched by
the rightful owner of the nest.
The children had heard the story
before, but that cowbfrd should so
impose upon dear little chippv~ wa 8
reality all too dreadful for them.
They never grew weary watching. II
they awakened at z:3O In the morning.
they could hear the wheezy cry of
that infant, and when they lool5ed
out chippy was always busy trying
10 satisfy its clamorous appetite. The
mother chippy took a share in the
labor but the baby could eat as fas
as both adults could feed. Every dav
tai $50 p. m.-that is. till dark-that
young glutton tagged around after its
foster parents. A larger amount Of
food was put out on the box, but it
disappeared with embarrassing rapid
ity. No doubt the chippies We're CRATE
ful for the helps the children. gave
and would have said thank vou.p if
they had had spare moment. The
poor little things had no time to utter
single chip save when they thought
their cherub was in peril: then their
solicftude was expressed by a distress
ing series OF chips Danger past.
however. they continued to cram that
yawning mouth
All this care for a bird much larger
than they were. a bird able TO fly
nearly as well they. and, after the
second day. quite capa bic Of feeding
himself, when the little parents were
gone, though, when they were near.
big baby stood as If he could not pick
up a bite, shook himself all over as if
he were having a nervous chill and
uttered necessarily his blatant bawL
oh" said the little girl who was
just beginning 10 learn about bees
he is p drone, isn't he2 Why don't
the chippies run away and never come
back2"
But the stupid chippies continued
the feeding-stUffing is a better word
for two weeks. after which time the
Fat and fussy cowbird, now grown
almost to the size OF A young robin.
appeared no more with his tiny pro-
tectors- He had gone presumably TO
Join his own kind. not necessarily to
join his own parents. He would have
been wise cowbird 10 know them
So ended the scenes at the doorstep:
but the dainty home in the ounce tree
what had become Of that? Four tiny
green eggs had been there IN the early
days of June, but the one big white
egg Matched frst-its term of incuba-