236 Tlie Boh-Link, or Rice-Bird, 



merited compliments that were so lavishly bestowed upon the French Bird ; 

 and several were even so ungrateful, after stowing away a whole brood of 

 them in their stomachs, as to draw invidious comparisons between the two 

 rivals for gustatory favor. After mature reflection, however, the whole 

 party, one and all, declared in favor of the Reed-Bird of America, at twenty 

 sous the dozen, over the French Bird at one dollar a piece. 



" As soon as the frost makes its appearance in Pennsylvania, the Reed- 

 Bird, as well as the Rails, take their departure for the South, and it is seldom 

 that we find either of them with us longer than October. After they leave 

 our rivers, they continue their course South, visiting the rice-fields of the 

 Carolinas and Georgia, and often commit great havoc in those regions. — 

 Although thousands upon thousands of these birds have been destroyed in 

 their route from the North, still, thousands upon thousands of them yet exist» 

 and every gun is again brought into requisition in their new quarters, to thin 

 down their mexhaustible numbers ; but all to no purpose, as they still continue 

 their flight in immense bodies, as the winter advances, and ultimately arrive 

 at the termination of their long voyage in the West India Islands. In 

 Jamaica, they are called Butter-Birds ; and there, as in all other parts 

 where they make their appearance, they are highly esteemed for the delicacy 

 and richness of their flavor. 



" Audubon states that when these Birds migrate South in the autumn, 

 their flight is diurnal, but when returning in the spring, they travel mostly 

 at night. Such, however, has not been the result of our observations, as we 

 have noticed the flight of Reed-Birds many, many times during the autumn, 

 in the still hours of night ; and in the spring, we have also seen them travel- 

 ling during the day. 



" Another interesting particular respecting the Reed-Bird is the singular 

 change that takes place in the plumage of the male, which begins to change 

 in June, and by the close of the following month has approached so nearly 

 to that of the female, that it is very difficult to distinguish one from the 

 other. This circumstance, in connection with the fact that the plumage of 

 all the young birds also resembles that of the females, has given rise to the 

 vulgar notion that the male birds never return from the North, but what 

 becomes of them every one of course is unable to conjecture. 



" The plumage of the Reed-Bu-d is variegated and pretty, and he makes 

 a very contented and happy captive for the Bird Fancier ; soon forgetting 

 his former life of freedom, he resigns himself to his lot, and sings merrily and 

 cheerfully for several mouths in the year. His notes are agreeable, and 

 capable of much improvement by associating him with the Canary Bird, 

 with which we have been told he wiU pair. The truth of this we cannot 

 vouch for, however. 



" We were shewn, a few days since, a Reed-Bird, the plumage of which 

 was a perfect Canary color ; and if we had not recognized the bird from its 

 general outline, we should have pronounced it an overgrown Canary, so 

 complete was the change that had taken place in its appearance." 



After spending the winter months in the West Indies, the Bob-link, at 



