lCTKUII)-i:-TIIi: OKIULKS. 1,j1 



also ho w itiM'sscd early in A]>ril, in tin* vicinity of Washington, the Smith- 

 sonian grounds lifini; a tuvoiitt' phico of ivsort. 



i>y the time tlu-M* Imds havt* reached, in their sprin;^ mij;rations, the 4oili 

 paralhd of hititiule. they nn Ioniser move in large Hocks, l>ut have hej^un U) 

 se])araie into small ]»arties, and finally into i)airs. In New England the 

 linltnlink tieats us to no such concerts as those described l»v Audubon, 

 where many voices join in creating tlieir peculiar jingling melody. When 

 they first apitear, usually after the middle of May, they are in small ])arties, 

 composed of either sex, altsorbrd in their courtships and overtlowing with 

 s(»ng. When two or three male IJobolinks, decked out in their gayest si»riug 

 ai»parel, are paying llieir attentions to the same draii-colored female, C(»n- 

 trasting so strikingly in her sober brown dress, their perlbrmances are quite 

 entertaining, each male endeavorinu to outsinjjr the other. The female 

 a]»pears coy and retiring, keeping closely to the ground, but always at- 

 tended by the several aspirants for her affection. After a c(»ntest, often 

 quite exciting, the rivalries are adjusted, the rejected suitors are drive, 

 otf ]»y tln'ir more fortunate competitor, and the hai>j)y pair begin to put in 

 onler a new home, it is in these love-ipmrrels that their song api)ears to 

 the greatest advantage. They jtour out incessantly their strains of quaint 

 but charming nuisic, now on the ground, now on the wing, now on the top 

 of a fence, a low bush, or the swaying stalk of a jdant that bends with their 

 weight. The great length of their song, the immense number of short and 

 variable notes of which it is eom])osecl, the volubility and confused rapidity 

 with which they are poured forth, the eccentric breaks, in the midst of 

 which we detect the words " bob-o-li?ik "' so distinctly enunciated, unite to 

 form a general result to which we can find no parallel in any o." the musical 

 l>erformances of our other song-birds. It is at once a uniiiue and a charm- 

 ing jiroduction. Xuttall speaks of their song as monotonous, which is 

 neither true nor consistent with his own descri})tion of it. To other ears 

 they seem ever wonderfully full of variety, pathos, and beauty. 



When their contests are ended, and the mated pair take possession of their 

 selected meadow, and prepare to construct their nest and rear their family, 

 then we may find the male bird hovering in the air over the spot where his 

 homely partner is brooding over her charge. All this while he is warbling 

 forth his incessant and happy love-song ; or else he is swinging on some 

 slender stalk or weed that bends under him, ever overtlowing with song and 

 eloquent with melody. As domestic cares and ])arental responsibilities in- 

 crease, his song l)ecomes less and less frequent. After a while it has degen- 

 erated into a few short notes, and at length ceases altogether. The young 

 in due time assume the development f»f mature birds, and all wear the sober 

 plumage of the mother. And now there also a])])ears a surprising change 

 in the appearance of our gayly attired musician. His showy plumage of 

 contrasting white and black, so conspicuous and striking, changes with 

 almost instant i-apidity into l)rown and drab, until he is no longer distin- 

 guishable, either by plumage or note, from his mate or young. 



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