RICE. 



95 



Rice-bir 's, Male and Female. 



to be sometimes heard in their flights by sailors fre- 

 quenting that course. These birds appear in Caro- 

 lina while the rice is yet milky. Their attacks upon 

 the grain while in this state are so destructive as to 

 bring considerable loss upon the farmers. The birds 

 arrive in the United States very lean, but thrive so 

 well upon their favourite diet, that during the three 

 weeks to which their visit is usually limited, they 

 become excessively fat, so as to fly with difficulty, 

 and when shot to be burst with the iall. So soon as 

 the rice begins to harden here, they retire to other 

 parts, remaining in one place only so long as the rice 

 continues green. When this food entirely fails, they 



