As I said, they were very handsome. At a short distance they looked to
be clothed in black, but the breast and neck were really a very rich
brown, with the rest of the body like jet and as lustrous as satin.
They were not general favorites with the other birds on account of some
dishonorable tricks which they did on the sly. For instance, they
never troubled themselves to make nests, but watched their chance to
sneak in and lay their eggs, only one in a place, in the nests of other
birds. For some reason their eggs always hatch a little sooner than
the eggs rightfully belonging there, consequently the foster-parents,
not knowing of the deception, are quite delighted with the first little
one that comes out of the shell, and immediately fly off to get food
for it. This is very unfortunate, for during their absence their own
eggs get cold and will not hatch. After a time the old birds grow
disgusted and tumble the poor eggs all out of the nest and bestow their
whole attention to the juvenile cowbird, entirely ignorant of the fact
that they are the victims of a "put-up job."
Once when we were dining in the pasture we found out the cause of the
booming noise we had often heard sounding through the woods. Two men,
each carrying in his hand a long club, shaped large at one end,
appeared in the meadow and began looking among the long grasses which
sheltered the nests of some meadow larks.
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