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Show 158 MR. W. H. HUDSON O N T H E [Mar. 3, rally manifests no fear even at a large object. On thrusting my fingers into any nest, I find the young birds, if still blind or but recently hatched, will hold up and open their mouths expecting food; but in a very few days they learn to distinguish between their parents and other objects approaching them, and to show alarm even when not warned of danger. Consider the different behaviour of three species that seldom or never warn their offspring of danger. The young of Synallaxis spixii, though in a deep domed nest, will throw itself to the ground, attempting thus to make its escape. The young of Mimus patagonicus sits close and motionless with closed eyes mimicking death. The young of our Dove, even before it is fledged, will swell itself up and strike angrily at the intruder with beak and wings ; and by making so brave a show of its inefficient weapons it probably often saves itself from destruction. But any thing approaching the young Molothrus is welcomed with fluttering wings and clamorous cries, as if all creatures were expected to minister to its necessities. December 24, 1872.-To-day I found a young Molothrus in the nest of Spermophila ornata ; he cried for food on seeing m y hand approach the nest; I took him out and dropped him down, when, finding himself on the ground, he immediately made off, half-flying. After a hard chase I succeeded in recapturing him, and began to twirl him about, making him scream so as to inform his foster-parents of his situation ; for they were not by at the moment. I then put him back in, or rather upon, the little cradle of a nest, and plucked half a dozen large measure-worms from an adjacent twig. The worms I handed to the bird as I drew them from the cases ; and with great greediness he devoured them all, notwithstanding the ill-treatment he had just received, and utterly disregarding the wild excited cries of his foster-parents, just arrived and hovering within three or four feet of the nest. Last summer (18/1-2) I noticed a young M. bonariensis in a stubble-field, perched on the top of a slender dry stalk; as it was clamouring at short intervals, I waited to see what bird would come to it. It proved to be the diminutive Polioptila dumicola ; and I was much amused to see the little thing fly directly to its great foster-offspring and, alighting on its back, drop a worm into the upturned open mouth. After remaining a moment on its singular perch the Polioptila flew away, but in less than half a minute returned and perched again on the young bird's back. I continued watching them until the Molothrus flew off, but not before I had seen him feed seven or eight times in the same manner. In the two foregoing anecdotes may be seen the peculiar habits of the young M. bonariensis. As the nests in which it is hatched, from those of the little Serpophaga and Wren to those of Mimus, vary so much in size and materials, and are placed in such different situations, the young M. bonariensis must have in most of them a somewhat incongruous appearance. But in the habits of the young bird is the greatest incongruity or inadaptation. When the nest is in a close thicket or forest, though much too small for the bird, and |