The Bobolink 167 



of musketry by the bird minders in their efforts to keep the 

 birds from pulling up the rice. This warfare is kept up until 

 about the 25th of May, when they suddenly disappear at 

 night." They then are called Maybirds. 



"In the more southern part of their breeding range," says 

 Major Bendire, "the young are generally large enough to 

 fly by July 1. They gather then in little flocks with the par- 

 ents (the male assuming the garb of the female about that 

 time) and are soon thereafter led by them to the marshes, near 

 the seashore, in quest of their favorite food, which at this time 

 of the year is Indian rice." They then are called Reed 

 birds. Captain Hazzard in his letter to Major Bendire, in 

 describing their southern migration, says : "Their next ap- 

 pearance is in a dark yellow plumage, as the Ricebird. There 

 is no song at this time, but instead a chirp which means ruin 

 to any rice found in the milk. My plantation record will 

 show that for the past ten years, except when prevented by 

 stormy south or southwest winds, the Ricebirds have come 

 punctually on the night of the 21st of August, apparently com- 

 ing from seaward. All night their chirp can be heard passing 

 over our summer homes in South Island, which is situated 

 six miles to the east of our plantations, in full view of the 

 ocean. Curious to say, we have never seen this flight during 

 the day. During the nights of August 21, 22, 23 and 24, 

 millions of the birds make their appearance and settle in the 

 ricefields. From the 21st of August to the 25th of Septem- 

 ber our every effort is to save our crop." They are so des- 

 tructive to the rice crop that it is estimated they directly or 

 indirectly cause an annual loss of $3,000,000. 



From the rice. fields they migrate to their winter homes 

 in South America. Of this Mr. Wells W. Cooke says : "A 

 still more direct route, but one requiring longer single flights, 

 stretches from Florida to South America via Cuba and Ja- 

 maica. The 150 miles between Florida and Cuba are crossed 

 by tens of thousands of birds from 60 different species. About 

 half the species take the next flight of 90 miles to the beautiful 

 Jamaica mountains. Here a 500 mile stretch of islandless 

 ocean confronts them, and scarcely a third of their number 

 leave the forest-clad hills for the unseen beyond. Chief among 



