Birds of Lewist on- Auburn 51 



is our only parasite and that flock made me think how 

 many foster-mothers had sacrificed their own young by 

 feeding these. In mating time it makes queer contor- 

 tions to utter its squeaky song. 



89. (494) BOBOLINK 



A summer resident to be expected May 9 or later. 

 Just after mid- July the song ceases and the nuptial dress 

 is laid aside for the quieter garb of the female. By the 

 first of August it is wholly changed. I saw a flock in 

 tawny plumage gathering for the night of August 27 in 

 Garcelon's Bog. Three days later they left for the rice 

 fields of the South where they are a pest. Mabel S. Mer- 

 rill says : "The sweet magician of our fields is the bobo- 

 link. He is an enchanter who doesn't need even to wave 

 a wand. Though he chose to sing in a snowdrift, you 

 would have to believe it was June when you heard him, 

 so inwoven is that music with memories of fields of shin- 

 ing daisies, billows of red clover, and the first shadowy 

 bluebells afloat on a feathery sea of grass. The coming 

 of the bobolink is always an event to us." 



Chapman describes the song as "the jolliest, tinkling, 

 rippling song that ever issued from a bird's throat." 



FAMILY STARLINGS 



90. (493) STARLING 



The Starling was introduced from Europe into Cen- 

 tral Park and has spread over much territory. None have 

 been reported here till the last of March, 1917. It was 

 seen at a home south of Riverside Cemetery near the 

 river. Three were in the vicinity of Upper Main Street 

 during the summer. I saw them April 24. One has 

 since been seen in Auburn. We were not glad to have 

 them appear, although we knew they would arrive sooner 

 or later. 



