Family Icteridce Bobolink 129 



birds considerably smaller than themselves. The 

 laying season is from April until the middle of June. 



The notes are for the most part unmusical a 

 loud chuck-see, produced only after the most laugh- 

 able contortions, is the most common one. There 

 is also, however, a " clear, rather shrill, whistle, usu- 

 ally followed by a few similar but falling notes." 



Bicknell describes the complete song as end- 

 ing with a sound "curiously like that of bubbling 

 water," and adds that in the later part of the season 

 this closing portion is often omitted. Song becomes 

 infrequent in June, and ends in early July, to be 

 resumed again during the month following mid- 

 September. 



72. BOBOLINK ; SKUNK BLACKBIRD 

 REEDBIRD ; RICEBIRD 



(Dolichonyx oryztvonis.) 



Male in summer plumage : upper parts largely and under parts 

 wholly black, often somewhat impure ; a dorsal half-collar of 

 buff ; rump and upper part of tail ashy white. Beak black, con- 

 ical. Female and male in winter : upper parts, including wings 

 and tail, dark brown streaked with yellowish brown ; under 

 parts uniform yellowish brown. Beak horn-color, conical. Feet 

 in both sexes strong, horn-color in female, darker in male. 

 Bird rather larger than a sparrow. 



THE bobolink should be sought in meadows, espe- 

 cially in such as border a stream. They come to us 

 in early May, and leave in September. Like his rel- 



