DOLICHONYX ORYZIVORUS : BOBOLINK. 293 



vants. Robert is naturally restive, and with proper 

 spirit holds out as long as he can ; but the reformation 

 goes on steadily. Before the summer is over he is 

 plain Bob, and quite as shabby as his housekeeper, 

 with scarcely a wink to tip to his former jolly com- 

 panions. However, they are all in like plight; and 

 in despair of holding up their heads any longer in good 

 society, they bundle off south with their numerous pro- 

 geny, travelling mostly by night to elude observation. 

 Some still dark night, late in August or early in Sep- 

 tember, you may know that the play is played out, 

 hearing the chink-link-ink from the upper air as the 

 birds speed on ; that is the tinkle of the bell that rings 

 the curtain down on the last act. 



Reaching "fresh fields and pastures new," the Lin- 

 coins in disguise assume the name of Reed-birds, and 

 under this alias find leisure, doubtless, to reflect on 

 what might have been had they always kept sober. 

 It does not seem to disturb them, however, and cer- 

 tainly does not impair their digestion. They grow fat 

 and lazy in the abundance of the harvest that autumn 

 brings to the good and bad alike, seizing the day with 

 true Horatian ease; and all those which successfully 

 run the gauntlet of the gunners from Maine to the 

 West Indies, are by the following spring quite ready 

 to return to their folly ; the " old boys " being kept in 

 countenance by the rising generation, which values 

 experience not until it is bought and paid for. 



While the extent of the changes of plumage of the 

 Bobolink are well known, the very brief duration of the 

 perfect dress may not be fully appreciated. The great 

 majority of specimens secured in the black-and-white 

 dress are not absolutely perfect, many of the feathers 



