THE BOBOLINK. j e 
familiar bird 
life. When 
the male ar- 
rives in the 
spring he is 
apt to have 
some buffy or 
ashy skirting 
on his black 
feathers, but 
these soon 
disappear and 
hie) ‘stainidis 
forth in a per- 
fect livery of 
black, white 
and buff. Un- 
der the neces- Taken near Columbus. Photo by the Author. 
sity of having WHERE BOBOLINKS NEST. 
to provide for 
a growing brood, all his gaiety leaves him. He becomes anxious, silent, 
and careworn. Barely are the youngsters able to shift for themselves, 
when the father doffs the wedding garments, and puts on a severely plain 
suit like that of the female. A month or so is spent by both old and young 
in recruiting strength—a season which is passed for the most part in loose 
flocks—and then the leisurely journey southward is begun, about the twentieth 
of August. The sole and characteristic note from this on is a metallic 
dink or chink. ‘There is little concert about their southward movement, 
and the air in our latitude may resound with dink cries at any time of 
night, and often in the daytime, for a month. The birds gather in immense 
numbers in the reeds of the Chesapeake region, and are slaughtered by thous- 
ands for the market, where they are known as “Reed-birds.”” Later in their 
retreat they infest the rice-swamps of the Carolinas and Georgia, where 
they are also killed in great numbers, with perhaps some little show of justice. 
But surely if our Southern neighbors could realize of how much delicious music 
they deprive us another year, they would not be so cruel. It is a great pity that 
the burden of the musician’s support does not fall more heavily upon us, for 
how cheerfully would we bear it! 
