ere closer than seventh or eighth
cousins, which is so distant that it doesn't count--especially if one
doesn't want it to.

All I know is that their family name was the same as ours, _Icteridae_,
and means something or other, I forget what. It was a good honorable
name, however, and our branch was as proud of our ancestry as any
Daughter of the American Revolution could possibly be.

There were some tall weeds growing along the margin of a little stream
in the pasture which produced quantities of delicious seeds, and to
these we often repaired when we wanted a choice breakfast, as well as
to watch the playful pastimes of these queer bipeds.

What would you think of a bird taking a bareback ride on a cow? They
were extremely fond of settling themselves on the cattle which browsed
in the field and presented a truly comical picture as they complacently
gathered in little groups on the backs of those huge animals. Moving
slowly along munching the dewy grass, first on one side, then on the
other, the cows did not seem particularly to mind their saucy bareback
riders. Occasionally they would toss their heads backward, when up all
the birds would fly into the air only to descend again as soon as the
cattle were quiet.

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 w