Range.--Eastern North America, breeding from New Jersey north to Nova Scotia and Manitoba, and west to Utah and Nevada; winters in South America. This black and white bird is well known in the east, where his sweet, wild music, often uttered on the wing, is much admired. He sings all day long during May and June to his Sparrow-like mate, who is sitting on her nest concealed in the meadow grass. They are quite sociable birds and several pairs often nest in the same field, generally a damp meadow; the nests are hollows in the ground, lined with grass and frequently with the top slightly arched to conceal the eggs, which are grayish white, clouded, spotted and blotched with brownish, gray and lilac; size .84 × .62. They number from four to six and are laid in June. 495. COWBIRD. _Molothrus ater ater._ Range.--North America from the Atlantic to eastern California, and from New Brunswick and Manitoba southward; winters from the southern half of the United States southward. [Illustration 316: Starling.] [Illustration: Bluish green.] [Illustration: Bobolink.] [Illustration: Grayish white.] [Illustration: left hand margin.] Page 315 These uncivilized members of the bird world build no nests for themselves, but slyly deposit their egg in the nest of some other bird from the size of a Robin down, probably the greater number being in Warblers and Sparrows nests; the eggs are hatched and the young cared for by the unfortunate birds upon which they are thrust. The eggs are white, spotted and speckled all over, more or less strongly with brown and yellowish brown; size .85 × .64. 495a. DWARF COWBIRD. _Molothrus ater obscurus._ Range.--Southwestern United States and Mexico, wintering south of our borders. This variety is like the last, but slightly smaller. The nesting habits of the two are identical and the eggs are indistinguishable. It is believed that Cowbirds do more damage to the smaller birds than all other dangers combined, as their young being larger and stronger either crowd or smother the other young or else starve them by getting most of the food brought to the nest. 496. RED-EYED COWBIRD. _Tangavius æneus involucratus._ Range.--Mexico; north in summer to the Lower Rio Grande in Texas. This parasite is larger than the Cowbird, being 9 inches long, and is glossy black with brassy reflections on the upper and under parts. They are abundant in southern Texas where they deposit their eggs in the nests of other birds, apparently preferring those of Orioles; their eggs are pale bluish green, unmarked; size .90 × .70. 497. YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD. _Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus._ Range.--North America west of the Mississippi to eastern California, breeding from the southern parts of the United States north to British Columbia and Hudson Bay and wintering from southern United States downward.