THE WAY TO STUDY BIRDS 



black. Back of neck, yellowish-buff. Lower 

 back and lines down the center and sides of 

 back white. Also white in wings and tail. 

 Bill blue black. Female and male in fall: 

 above, olive-buff with blackish markings. Be- 

 low, yellowish. Crown dark, with a light yel- 

 lowish stripe down the center. 



Field-marks: Pointed tail feathers. Male: 

 black forehead and under parts and white rump. 



Size and Shape: Length 7.3 inches. Bill 

 short and thick. Tail feathers pointed. 



Song: An ecstatic gurgling melody, utterly 

 indescribable. 



Seasonal Abundance: Arrives the first week 

 in May, and altho not leaving until October, 

 congregates in flocks soon after the breeding 

 season. 



Remarks: The Bobolink of our spring mead- 

 ows changes completely after he completes his 

 nesting duties. He dons the inconspicuous 

 garb of his mate and together they migrate 

 southward to become the " Rice-bird " and 

 " Reed-bird " of the Southern sportsmen, who 

 consider them to be game birds. 



2O. TOWHEE 



Haunts: Thickets, or land covered by a low 

 growth of any tree. 



Description: Male: upper parts, head and 

 throat black. Belly white, sides chestnut. 

 White in wings and end of outer tail feathers. 

 Female : similar to the male, but black replaced 

 by brown. 



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