Birds of Indiana. 889 



ing grounds and remain until the middle of August. Some, com- 

 paratively few^ remain later than this. In 1894 the last was reported 

 from Plymouth, Mich., September 12; Cook County, 111., September 

 21. In 1890 I received one from Mr. PI. K. McCoy, which he killed 

 at Marion, Ind., September 29. Prof. E. L. Moseley reports about 

 150 at Sandusky, 0., September 4, 1897. However, they flock to 

 the Atlantic Coast in great numbers towards the middle of August 

 and descend in immense swarms upon the rice fields of the South 

 Atlantic and Gulf States. Apparently they journey southward, follow- 

 ing the coast line, and some distance out. There they appear to arrive 

 from seaward, "punctually on the night of the 21st of August" (U. S. 

 Agr. Kept., 1886, p. 249). They at once proceed to destroy all the 

 rice on which the grain is in the milk, as well as untold quantities of 

 ripening grain. The annual loss to rice growers in this country on ac- 

 count of Bobolinks is estimated at $2,000,000. For, not only do they 

 consume so much in the fall, l)ut in April and May, as they come 

 north, they stop to lay in waste the fields of young grain. The Bobo- 

 link, with us, is an entirely different bird, given to sweet songs, odd 

 actions and good deeds. With us, it lives upon insects and seeds that 

 are of no especial value. During the time the young have to be pro- 

 vided for they are fed mostly insects. The meadows, marshes, pastures 

 and prairies are its home, and multitudes of insects which infest such 

 places are eaten each year. (See The Bobolink in Indiana Proc, I. 

 A. S., 1896.) 



111. Genus MOLOTHRUS Swainson. 



n88. (495). Molothrus ater (Bodd.). 



Cowbird. 



Synonyms, Cow Bunting, Blackbibd. 



Adult Male. — Plumage, mostly lustrous black, with purple and 

 green reflections; head and neck, brown. i<^e7na/e.— Smaller; l)rown- 

 ish-gray, darker above; chin and throat paler, apparently streaked, 

 owing to the darker lines along the shaft« of most of the feathers. 

 Immature. — Similar to female, but more buffy; bill and feet, black. 



Male, length, 7.75-8.25; wing, 4.00-4.60; tail, 2.90-3.35. Female, 

 length, 7.00-7.50; wing, about 3.75; tail, 2.75. 



Eange. — North America, from southern Mexico north to New 

 Brunswick and Athabasca (Little Slave Lake). Breeds from Georgia, 

 Louisiana and Texas, northward. Winters from southern Illinois and 

 southern Indiana, southward. 



