352 BIRDS — ICTEEID^. 



ferent in color: yellowish- brown above, brownish-yellow below, crown and back con- 

 spicuously, nape, rump, and sides less broadly, streaked with black ; crown with a me- 

 dian and lateral light stripe ; wings and tail blackish, pale edged ; bill brown. The 

 male changing, shows confused characters of both sexes. Length, 6^-7^ ; wing, 2^-4 ; 

 tail, 2J-3; tarsus, about 1; middle toe and claw, about IJ. 



Habitat, Eastern North America ; north to the Saskatchewan ; west to the Rocky 

 Mountains, Utah, Nevada, Wyoming, and Montana; south to Bolivia, La Plata, etc. 

 West Indies. Gallipagots. 



Abundant summer resident in Northern, very common spring and fall 

 migrant, less common summer resident and breeding in Middle, and mi- 

 grant only in Southern Ohio. Dr. Kirtland gives it without comment. 

 Mr. Read gives it as very abundant, and breeding, and states that "years 

 ago it was not found on the Reserve." Mr. B. F. Abell, of Welchfield, 

 Geauga county, says that it was first observed in that place May 20, 1857. 

 Mr. Langdon gives it as an "occasional migrant in M-iy, usually in small 

 flocks." 



In this vicinity it was unknown to old residents. I first saw them in 

 May, 1857, when I obtained a specimen which, with twc^or three others, 

 was perched upon a tree on the bank of Alum Creek. Since then they 

 have increased in numbers, and during the last six or seven years at 

 least, a few have nested with us. They are also known to breed at 

 Yellow Springs, about fifty miles south of west from this city. This 

 appears to be their southernmost recorded limit during the breeding sea- 

 son. Dr. Brewer gives their breeding range from latitude 42° to 54°. 



The Bobolink arrives in this vicinity during the first week in May, in 

 companies of from six to thirty. On their first arrival they rather pre- 

 fer wet meadows, but those which remain to breed choose dry and often 

 elevated clover fields. Many of the males are in full breeding plumage 

 when they arrive, but some have most of the black feathers skirted with 

 buff or ashy. The females arrive a few days later than the males. Dur- 

 ing the fall migration they show a decided preference for fields and 

 orchards in which stand crops of Hungarian grass, on the seeds of which 

 they feed ravenously. They generally migrate by night, when their call 

 note, a sharp chink, is heard overhead. Sometimes, however, they migrate 

 during the day, as was the case with the first seen by me, and with a 

 single male, which alighted on the top of an ash tree in my garden, and 

 after resting awhile, flew away singing. 



,The song of the male is a most remarkable performance. Sitting upon 

 the top of a bending weed, or perched upon a stump, bush, or fence, he 

 sings such a variety of hasty, jolly, and gingling notes, that the ear is 

 puzzled to receive them. From some of the syllables of his song he lakes 



