110 



BLACKBIRDS AND ORIOLES 



FIG. 49. 

 Bill of Oriole. 



The Orchard Oriole is also smaller and builds a 

 shallower nest of grass. The Blackbirds are alike 

 in general characteristics. They all walk the 

 Orioles hop and they get most of their food on 

 the ground. The Crow Blackbird, Red-wing, and 

 Rusty are most nearly alike, and as their food 

 habits are similar, they have similar bills. (See 

 Fig. 121, p. 193.) The Cow- 

 bird and Bobolink are less ex- 

 clusively insectivorous, and so 

 their bills approach more to the 

 seed-eater conical type of bill 

 (see Figs. 42, p. 102 ; 50, p. 110, 

 and 119, p. 193), contrasting 

 quite sharply with the long, 

 pointed bills of the Orioles 

 (Fig. 49), Meadowlark (see 

 Fig. 43, p. 102), and Black- 

 birds (Fig. 121, p. 193). The 

 Blackbird and Oriole types of 

 bill contrast well with the fly- 

 traps of the Swallows, the 

 probes of the Hummingbirds, 

 and the bills of the Doves, 

 Wrens, and Flycatchers. (See 

 Figs. 120, 118, p. 193; 106, 107, p. 192.) In the 

 same way, the tails of the Bobolink and Meadow- 

 lark, which live among the grasses, have become 

 specialized, being quite sharp and pointed, as if 

 worn by friction (see Fig. 51) ; while those of the 



FIG. 50. 

 Bill of Bobolink. 



FIG. 51. 

 Tail of Bobolink. 



