THE BOBOLINK, 



( DoHchonyx oryzivorus . ) 



It is generally during the month of 

 April or May that the Bobolink termi- 

 nates his winter's sojourn near the 

 tropics and starts on his long journey 

 to the north and northwest, passing over 

 regions of the southland where he is one 

 of the most despised of birds, except when 

 properly cooked. He hurries on, travel- 

 ing at night and feeding by day, often, it 

 is true, pulling up the growing rice on 

 the way, until he reaches the regions 

 where he is always sure of a cordial wel- 

 come, and where there is no good rea- 

 son why he should not receive a welcome, 

 for, after passing about the fortieth 

 degree of north latitude, he appears to 

 be on his very best behavior, coming as 

 a harbinger of spring, wearing his best 

 clothes and fairly overflowing with music. 



The males usually appear a few days 

 in advance of the females and when the 

 latter arrive courtship at once begins, 

 the birds meeting in an open space where 

 gay "Robert of Lincoln" dances on earth 

 and air about the one he would have for 

 his helpmeet, telling his love in song till 

 she can no longer resist him. She arises 

 and dashes away through hedge, or over 

 meadow, knowing full well that her gay 

 lover will follow her and from that time 

 on, their domestic affairs appear to pro- 

 gress harmoniously. It is not long be- 

 fore in some depression in the nearby 

 meadow may be found their nest, woven 

 from pieces of dry grass with the earth 

 helping to support it. In it are deposited 

 from four to five eggs of a brownish-clay 

 color, with spots and blotches of different 

 shades of umber. 



All during the period of nest building, 

 incubation and rearing of the brood, Mr. 

 and Mrs. Bobolink remain perfectly 

 united ; she protecting her eggs and her 

 children while he is in constant attend- 

 ance devoting all his spare moments to 

 his sweet music. 



As soon as incubation is completed, 

 the male changes from his exceedingly 

 jubilant manner to one of almost com- 

 plete silence, giving only an occasional 

 chirp. At the same time he changes his 

 gay colored dress of early summer to one 

 of subdued brown such as his mate has 

 always worn and in which he finds all 

 his children dressed. As soon as the lat- 

 ter are able to care for themselves, the 

 familiar meadows are deserted. The dif- 

 ferent families gathering together and 

 leading a quiet and retired life during 

 the remainder of their northern stay, gen- 

 erally congregate about marshes, particu- 

 larly where the wild rice is found. 



During the early part of their northern 

 life their diet is largely insectivorous, 

 their young being brought up almost ex- 

 clusively on it. The seeds of many 

 weeds are devoured and although a small 

 quantity of grain may be taken before 

 their departure, they do far more good 

 than harm during their life in the north- 

 land. 



Distributed as they are from the Atlan- 

 tic to the Great Plains of the west and 

 as far north as Labrador, it is probably 

 in New England that the greatest 

 amount of sentiment surrounds these 

 ''Little Brothers of the Air." All over 

 this vast territory when the cool fall 

 breezes begin to blow, flocks of the Bobo- 

 links begin to congregate and move to- 

 w^ards their winter home. 



In the reedy marshes of Pennsylvania, 

 Maryland, Delaware and the adjacent 

 regions, their trouble begins, for here 

 under the name of Reed-birds they are 

 much sought after by the sportsmen and 

 hundreds of them go down before the 

 leaden showers. 



As the survivors continue the journey 

 southward, they appear in the rice dis- 

 tricts under still another name, that of 

 Rice-bird, or Rice Bunting, and here it 



