224 



BICKCISSEL 



Dickcissel ; Black-throated Bunting : Spiza 

 americana. 



Adult male, throat black ; breast yellow, with a black central 

 patch; back brownish, streaked, ^(/w/i'/ema/e, duller, with- 

 out black on throat or breast. Length, 6 inches. 



Geographic Distribution. — Eastern United States, mostly 

 in the Mississippi valley ; breeds from Texas to southern Min- 

 nesota and North Dakota ; winters in Central and South 

 America ; breeds east of the Alleghanies now only iu the 

 south locally and rarely. 



As the Snowbird's name recalls storm-blown 

 snow-fields, so the Dickclssel's brings up pictures 

 of the sunny level grain 

 fields of Illinois. As he 

 sits on a stake with the 

 sunshine pouring down 

 upon him, his song has 

 all the brightness of the 

 great open prairies he 

 overlooks. " See, see, 

 Dick, Dick-Cissel, Cissel " 

 he calls from morning till 

 night, well earning his popular name of ' Little 

 Field Lark.' 



The attractive bird is a deserving agriculturist 

 as well as a cheering bird of song, for he makes 

 it his business to do away with caterpillars and 

 cankerworms, feeding his young considerately 

 upon grasshoppers. 



Fig. 141. 

 Dickcissel. 



