Open Nests on the Ground 
sitating the building of a stronger nest than would be required 
during the finer weather of June and July. 
The nests may usually be found in dry fields of either grass 
or corn. 
494. Bobolink: Dolichonyx oryzivorus (Linn.) 
Adult é —Breeding plumage : Forehead, throat, and under parts 
black, the feathers being slightly tipped with light buff during 
the earlier part of the season ; back of head and neck light 
buff ; back, dark dusky feathers with buff markings ; upper 
part of rump whitish ; wings and tail black, the tail feathers 
having pointed tips. 
Adult 9 —Upper parts dark buff with black streaks ; wings and 
tail brown ; under parts light buff. 
Adult 6—Except during breeding season and when immature 
resembles the female. Length—7.25. 
Breeding Range—Southern New York to Nova Scotia, west as far 
as Utah. 
The nest is placed on the ground in meadows, and is formed 
of grass with occasionally a few leaves, the inside being lined 
with fine grass. Usually it is an open nest about one and a half 
inches deep inside, but sometimes it is partly concealed by grass 
bent over so as to form a sort of rough arch. 3 to 6 and rarely 7 
eggs are laid. They vary greatly both in colour and size, ranging 
from white with distinct chocolate markings, to grayish buff 
with large brown blotches which nearly cover the ground colour; 
in size they range from about .55 x .79 to .66 x .go—the average 
is about .63 x .85. See Fig. 2, Plate B. 
He who has not had the pleasure of hearing and seeing the 
Bobolink during the breeding season has a great treat in store. 
This sweet little songster seems to be the very embodiment of 
pure happiness, spending most of his time singing the song that 
has inspired both poet and author. Probably no bird of the New 
World has been so frequently mentioned in the literature of the 
country. While the bird is in flight the song is particularly 
enchanting, reminding one to a certain extent of the European 
skylark, though it is perhaps richer in tone. 
To find the bird is very different from finding the nest; it 
takes many hours of patient searching. You may hide near the 
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