130 Land Birds of New England 



atives, the bobolink walks instead of hopping when 

 he chances to be on the ground ; but he is much 

 more likely to be met in a tree, swinging on some 

 slender weed, or hovering in the air, ever pouring 

 forth that ecstatic flood of melody which poets have 

 tried in vain to imitate or even describe. Unlike 

 most birds, the bobolink sings all day long, and its 

 " mad music " needs only to be heard to be recog- 

 nized. Some of its syllables resemble the word 

 bobolink ; but aside from this, the impetuous rush 

 of song is unlike that of any other bird. The fol- 

 lowing translation of his song, u if repeated rapidly 

 with a rising inflection in each part, illustrates it 

 very well : Tom noodle, Tom noodle, you owe me, 

 you owe me, ten shillings and sixpence. I paid 

 you, I paid you ; you didn't, you didn't ; you lie, 

 you lie; you cheat." MINOT. 



The bobolink sings into early July, the song grad- 

 ually waning in beauty and frequency until it ceases ; 

 later he has only a single short note of a softly me- 

 tallic tone. 



The nest is built on the ground in meadows amid 

 long grass, and is usually well concealed. Eggs are 

 laid about the first of June. 



LITERATURE: 



Little Brothers of the Air. OLIVE THORNE MILLER. 

 Birds and Poets. (Art. " Birds and Poets.") BURROUGHS. 



