AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY. 245 



would not be recognized. He, his wife, and their young now all have 

 the same dress of yellowish brown and are ready to begin their migra- 

 tion. The male has not only lost his brilliant clothes but his voice as 

 well. His tongue will give voice to no more of the thrilling melodies 

 until the coming of another spring. As soon as they leave their breed- 

 ing grounds, they cease to be known as Bobolinks, and are called 

 "Rice Birds." They now feed almost exclusively among the rice fields 

 of the south, and from this they get their latin name of oryzvorus, 

 which means "to eat rice". 



A few weeks feeding on this diet nearly doubles their ordinary 

 weight and they are regarded as a great delicacy for the table. Hun- 

 dreds of thousands of them are killed every fall and served in the ho- 

 tels of the south. Those that are left of them continue their way 

 southwards into South America, there to stay until our climate again 

 becomes to their liking, when once more they will return in their festal 

 dress to gladden the heart of the farmers, who by the way, from a sim- 

 ilarity in colors to a certain obnoxious animal have generally come to 

 know them as "Skunk Blackbirds". 



BOBOLINK. 



Soaring high o'er meadows wide, 



Skiinming low at streamlets brink; 

 Gay and careless, free as air, 

 Happy bobolink. 



Glad his song at break of day, 



Gladsome when the sun does sink; 

 Maddest, merriest, melodies, 

 Blithesome bobolink. 



What great happiness is yours. 



What the joyous thoughts you think. 

 That your heart should be so glad, 

 Merry bobolink? 



Mabel Cornklia Matson. 



