70 



NATURAL HISTORY OF VERMOrT. 



PartL 



TH3i liOB-O-LINK. 



THE CROW BLACK BIRD, 



THE BOB-0-LlNK. 

 Icterus agripennis. — Bon a p. 



Description. — The spring dress of the 

 male: — the top of the head, wings, tail, 

 sides of the neck, and whole under plu- 

 mage, black, with the feathers frequently 

 Bkirtcd with brownish yellow ; back of 

 the head yellowish white ; scapulars, 

 rump, and tail coverts white, tinged with 

 ash; extremities of the tail feathers similar 

 to those of the woodpeckers ; bill bluish 

 black; legs dark brown. Color of the/c- 

 malc, the xjoung, and the male, in autumn 

 and winter, varied with brownish black 

 and brownisli yellow above, dull yellow 

 beneath. Length of the specimen before 

 me 7 inches ; spread of the wings 11. ^ in- 

 ches. 



History. — This is a common bird in the 

 summer througiiout tiie United States. In 

 many jiarts it is called tiie Rice Bird, or 

 Rice Bunting, from the circumstance of 

 its feeding much upon wild rice. It is 

 also sometimes called the Shunk Black 

 Bird, from the resemblance of its black 

 and white markings to those of the 

 ekunk. But Boh-o-lin.k is its most common 

 desicrnation. Tliis bird does not usually 

 make its appearance in Vermont till the 

 latter part of May, and the males are gen- 

 erally seen a few days earlier than the fe- 

 males. They take up their residence in 

 the low meadows, and upon these and the 

 neighboring ploughed fields tJiey destroy 

 vast'numbers of insects and larvce ; and 

 this kind of food being abundant, they 

 seldom leave it for the purpose of doing 

 injury by feeding upon grain or fruits. 

 Hence they are rather regarded as bene- 

 factors, and being of an animated, jovial 

 turn, though somewhat boisterous, they 

 are received on their return in the spring 

 with a hearty welcome. The Bob-o-link 

 builds its nest on the ground, among the 

 grass. It is placed in a slight depression 

 and constructed of grass, coarse on the 

 outside and lined with that which is finer. 

 The female lays from 4 to 6 eggs, which 

 are of a dull yellowish white color, spot- 

 ted with brown. About the last of July 

 the males put off their black and white 



nuptial dress, and assume thegray,unosten* 

 tatious garb of the female and the young, 

 and by the middle of August they begin 

 to collect in flocks in the swamps and wet 

 meadows, and soon after leave for a more 

 southern climate. 



Genus Quiscalus. — Vieillot. 

 Generic Characters. — Bill bare, conr- 

 prcssed from the base, entire, with sharp edges 

 bent inwards ; upjier mandible forming an acute 

 angle with the fea'hers of the head, curved from 

 the mitWIe, projecting beyond the lower, and pro- 

 vided with a long heel within. Nostrils oval, half 

 closed by a membrane. Tongue cartilaginous, 

 flattened, torn at the sides and cleft at the point. 

 Tarsus a little longer than the middle toe; inner 

 too free, outer one united at the base to the middle 

 one Wings moderate in length ; Ist primary 

 efjual to tiie 5lh, and but little shorter than the 2il, 

 3d, and 4th, which are longest Tail of 12 feath- 

 ers, more or less rounded. 



COMMON CROW BLACK-BIRD.. 



Qrdscalus versicolor. — Vikillot. 



Description. — Color of the head, neck, 

 and breast, deep violet, with o-reenishand 

 ptirplish reflections; back, belly, and scan- 

 ulars dark bronze color; wings and tail 

 reflecting various shades of purple, with 

 green blue and coppery tints. Bill and 

 legs black. Upper mandible longer, but 

 not so stout as the lower, and the keel 

 within large. Feet and claws strong. Iris 

 bright gamboge yellow. Tail of 12 feath- 

 ers, rounded or wedoreform, and reaching 

 3 inches beyond the folded wings. Length 

 of the specimen before me 12 inches ; tail 

 5:J ; folded wings .5.7; bill above 1 .2, to 

 the angle of the mouth L4. Length of 

 the female usually 11 inches. 



History. — The Crow Black Bird is all 

 active and sociable bird, which warns us 

 by his loud, clanking note, late in the 

 spring, that he is once more in our fields 

 and gardens, apparently unconscious that 

 there can be any objection. He is one of 

 those creatures concerning which it is dif- 

 ficult to say wliether they are friends or 

 foes ; sometimes they are the one and 



