AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY, 



241 



BOBOLINK, 



A, O. U. Xo. 4D4. (Dolichonyx oryzivoru8.) 



RANGE. 



United States and southern Canada east of the Rocky Mountains. 

 South in winter to Cuba and South America. Breeds from the Middle 

 States northwards. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Length, 7 in; extent, 12 in.; tail, 3 in.; bill, black. Feet and eyes 

 brown. Adult male in breeding plumage.— Head, chin, throat and 

 under parts black. Back of head yellowish white. Scapulars, rump, 

 and upper tail coverts, dull white. Tail feathers stiffened and pointed 

 like those of the woodpeckers. Female and young, and male in the 

 fall: — General color all over, a brownish yellow, this being a little 

 lighter below. Top of head and back prominently streaked with black. 

 Wings and tail blackish brown. Both the young birds, and male and 

 female adults are somewhat more yellowish in the fall than is the 

 female in the spring and summer. 



NEST AND EGGS. 



The Bobolink breeds abundantly throughout the northern portions of 

 its United States range, placing its nest on the ground in large fields. 

 The nest is made of dried grasses and is artfully concealed in a tuft of 

 grass or weeds. The latter part of May or during June they lay from 

 four to six grayish eggs that are heavily blotched, clouded and mottled 

 with various shades of brown. 



^1 



HABITS. 



In nearly all respects the Bobolinks are our most peculiar birds. 

 They come to their northern breeding grounds during the first half of 

 May and for the remainder of the spring and summer their sweet 

 music and comical ways endear them to the hearts of all their northern 

 friends. The male bird is decked out in a fantastically arranged suit 

 of black and white, that seems to put to naught all theories as to the 

 protective coloration of birds. His black under parts and the contrast- 

 ing white on the upper make him a mark that can not be overlooked as 

 you scan a meadow. As far as the eye can see you can detect him 

 perched upon the top of a weed or blade of grass. 



His partner on the other hand, is dressed in the regulation garb of a 



