OF NEW ENGLAND.- 245 



appear to be their grand rendezvous. The reeds, or wild oats, 

 furnish them with such abundance of nutritious food, that in 

 a short time they become extremely fat ; and are supposed, 

 by some of our epicures, to be equal to the famous Ortolans 

 of Europe. Their note at this season is a single chink, and 

 is heard over head, with little intermission, from morning to 

 night." After attacking the rice-fields of the South, many 

 proceed to the West Indies, reaching Jamaica, where they are 

 called "Butter-birds," "in the month of October." Gosse 

 adds that they visit " the guinea-grass fields, in flocks amount- 

 ing to five hundred or more." 



(d). What adjectives can describe the Bobolink in May and 

 June? He is jolly, rollicking, madly happy, recklessly happy. 

 Nothing sober pleases him ; he perches on the elm, because its 

 branches rock and wave in the breeze more than those of 

 another tree ; then he spreads his wings, and, bursting into 

 ecstatic song, sails to the ground, perhaps caresses his mate, 

 then soars again to another perch, and again carols. Who 

 imagines that he has any control over his merry music? It is 

 a scientific fiction. His song is like champagne, and his notes 

 bubble out, when he opens his bill ; and yet, just as too much 

 champagne is surfeiting, so may be too much of his merry 

 jingle. 



From his notes originate his name "Bobolink," and perhaps 

 the Indian name "Conqueedle" (of the orthography I am un- 

 certain) ; and from them has been formed the following amus- 

 ing version of his song, which, if repeated rapidly with a rising 

 inflection in each part, illustrates it very well : 



"Tom Noodle, Tom Noodle, you owe me, you owe me, ten 

 shillings and sixpence : 



" I paid you, I paid you ; you didn't, j^ou didn't ; you lie, 

 you lie ; you cheat ! " 



The ordinary note of the Bobolink is a peculiarly metallic 

 chuck, but there are also others less often heard, some of which 

 are slightly querulous. 



