ICTKIUD.K - TIIK ORIULES. 151 



iilso bo witnessed early in Al)i'il, in the vicinity of Washington, tho Smilli- 

 soniiin ^'niumls hein.Lj ii liiviuite jiliicc of resurl. 



J5y tlie time tlioe l>ii'(l.s liiivo reiiclieil, in their spring,' mij^rations, tho 4()tli 

 pinilh'l i)f liiiitiide, tliey im limber niovo in larj,'o llooixs, Imt liiivo he^'un to 

 separato into small jiarlies, and linally into jiairs. In Now Knyhuxl tlio 

 IJobiilink treats ns to no siieli coneeits as those described by Audubon, 

 where many voices Join in creatinjf their peculiar Jin^jling mehidy. When 

 they first appear, usually after the middle of May, they uru in small i)arties, 

 composed of eitlaM- sex, alisorbed in their courtships and overllowiny with 

 Honj^. When two or three male lioiiolinks, decked out in their gayest spring 

 ajiparel, are paying their attentions to tho same drab-cohjred female, con- 

 trasting so strikingly in her sober l)rowii dress, their iierformances are (piito 

 entertaining, each male endeavoring to outsing the other. The female 

 appears coy and retiring, keeping closely to tho ground, but always at- 

 t(Mided by the several aspirants for her affection. After a contest, often 

 (juite exciting, the rivalries are adjusted, the rejected suitors are driven 

 off by their more fortunate comjiotitor, and tho happy pair begin to put in 

 order a now home. It is in these love-(iuarrels tiiat their song appears to 

 the greatest ad\antage. They ])our out incessantly their strains of quaint 

 but charming music, now on tho grouml, now on the Aving, now on the top 

 of a fence, a low bush, or tho swaying stalk of a jdant that bends with their 

 weight. Tho groat length of their song, tho inunense miinber of shfirt and 

 variable notes of which it is comjtosod, the volubility and confused rapidity 

 with which they are ])ourod forth, the eccentric breaks, in the midst of 

 which we detect the words " bob-o-link " so tlistinctly enunciated, unite to 

 form a general result to which we can find no parallel in any of the musical 

 l)erformances ol' our other song-birds. It is at once a uniciuo and a charm- 

 ing jiroduction. Nuttall speaks of their song as monotonous, which is 

 neither true nor consistent with his own description of it. To other eara 

 they seem over wonderfully i'ull of variety, pathos, and beauty. 



When their contests are ended, and the mated pair take jjossossion of their 

 selected meadow, and jn'opare to construct their nest and rear their family, 

 then we may find the male bird hovering in the air over the spot where his 

 homely jiartner is broodnig over her charge. All this while he is warbling 

 forth his incessant and ha])i)y love-song ; or else he is swinging on some 

 slender stalk or M'oed that bonds under him, ever overflowing with song and 

 eloquent with melody. As domestic cares and i)arental responsibilities in- 

 crease, his song becomes less and loss frequent. After a while it has degen- 

 erated into a few short notes, and at length ceases altogether. The young 

 in due time assume tho development of mature birds, and all wear the sober 

 plumage of the mother. And now there also appears a surprising change 

 in tho appearance of our gayly attired musician. His showy plumage of 

 contrasting white and black, so conspicuous and striking, changes with 

 almost instant ra])idity into brown and drab, until he is no longer distui- 

 guishable, either by jilumage or note, from his mate or young. 



