^°'g^^^] Allison, Birds of West Baton Rouge Parish, La. 479 



61. Dolichonyx oryzivorus. Bobolink. — A flock of about fifty was 

 present from April 30 to May 2, 1903. The males were in almost perfect 

 plumage, and in fine voice. I shall quote here from my note-book : 

 "Presently I heard Chink., chink! and the Bobolinks began to rise from 

 the weeds, a few at a time; they were of both sexes, and the males were 

 in the beautiful nuptial plumage. . . . Considering the striking character of 

 their coloration, their concealment was admirable. . . . Evidently they were 

 feeding on the ripe seeds of Senecio lobatus and Sonchus asper, and the 

 stomach I examined contained the seeds of Chcerophyllum tainturierii, I 

 think, besides fragments of beetles. Suddenly one of the males began to 

 sing, and soon the concert was glorious." 



62. Molothrus ater. Cowbird. — A common resident. 



63. Agelaius phceniceus. Red-winged Blackbird. — It seems to me 

 probable that to this form are referable the blackbirds of this parish ; they 

 are unquestionably larger than breeding birds from the Mississippi coast 

 and the region about New Orleans. They breed in small colonies among 

 the shrubbery and thick weeds on the banks of the cane-field ditches. 

 The species is resident, but a great influx from the southeast began on 

 January 7, 1903 ; these were mostly transient, however, and the majority 

 probably passed northward, though doubtless many returned to the coast 

 marshes to breed. It therefore appears probable that in winter both A. p. 

 phceniceus and A. p. Jioridatius are to be found here. 



64. Sturnella magna argutula. Southern Meadowlark. — A com- 

 mon resident. 



65. Icterus spurius. Orchard Oriole. — The most abundant sum- 

 mer bird of this region. The adult males began to arrive April i — ten 

 days later than at New Orleans in the same season — and were common 

 by April 5 ; on April 8 I saw the first females and immature males, and 

 from this time on the birds were very abundant. On a day in May I 

 counted thirty-one nests in a single homestead, where nearly all the trees 

 were recently planted and still small. The song is unfailing all day long, 

 from five in the morning to six, and sometimes later, in the evening. 



66. Icterus galbula. Baltimore Oriole. — An uncommon summer 

 resident ; indeed, the only proof I have to offer of its being a breeder 

 here is furnished by two nests found during the winter. Both of these 

 were in cottonwoods on the batture ; I knocked down one and satisfied 

 myself of its identity. This species is of very local distribution in Lou- 

 isiana in summer, being known to breed, I believe, only in East and West 

 Feliciana and East and West Baton Rouge Parishes. I noted the first 

 migrant in 1903 on April 20. 



67. Euphagus carolinus. Rusty Blackbird. — Very common in the 

 late winter, entering largely into the composition of all the motley flocks 

 of blackbirds. It is late to arrive in the fall ; I saw none before Novem- 

 ber 17. At New Orleans it is usually very late to leave in spring, but 

 here I saw none after March. 



68. Quiscalus quiscula. Purple Grackle. — More or less typical of 



