BOBOLINK. 29 



is on the grass, as black as may be. In the fall 

 when flying into dangers that necessitate an in- 

 conspicuous suit, the bobolink makes amends for 

 the confusion caused in the spring, by adopting 

 the uniform ochraceous tints of his wife. In this 

 dress he joins large companies of his brothers and 

 flies south, where he is known first as the " reed- 

 bird," and then, in the rice-fields, as the "rice- 

 bird." 



What could resemble the old time " needle in 

 the hay-stack " more than a bobolink's nest in a 

 meadow full of high grass ? But, do you say, the 

 birds act as a magnet to discover it ? That seems 

 to remove all difficulties. But suppose your mag- 

 net were bound to make you believe north, south, 

 and east, west ? When the bobolinks assure you 

 their nest is anywhere except where it is 

 within a radius of five or six rods, you well, try 

 it some warm day next summer ! Here is a bit of 

 my experience. 



One day in June I think I have surely found a 

 bobolink's nest. Everything is simplified. In- 

 stead of a dozen pairs of birds flying up helter 

 skelter from all parts of the field, there is only 

 one pair, and they kindly give me a line across 

 the meadow ending with a small elm on the west, 

 and a fence on the east. As they only occasion- 

 ally diverge to an evergreen on the north or go 

 for a run to a distant field on the south, I am 

 confident. In imagination I am already examin- 



