Open Nests on the Ground 



sitating the building of a stronger nest than would be required 

 during the finer weather of June and July. 



The nests may usually be found in dry fields of either grass 

 or corn. 



494. Bobolink: Dolichonyx oryzivorus (Linn.) 



Adult 3 —Breeding plumage : Forehead, throat, and under parts 

 black, the feathers being slightly tipped with light buff during 

 the earlier part of the season ; back of head and neck light 

 buff ; back, dark dusky feathers with buff markings ; upper 

 part of rump whitish ; wings and tail black, the tail feathers 

 having pointed tips. 



Adult 9 —Upper parts dark buff with black streaks ; wings and 

 tail brown ; under parts light buff. 



Adult ,3 — Except during breeding season and when immature 



resembles the female. Length — 7.25. 

 Breeding Range — Southern New York to Nova Scotia, west as far 



as Utah. 



The nest is placed on the ground in meadows, and is formed 

 of grass with occasionally a few leaves, the inside being lined 

 with fine grass. Usually it is an open nest about one and a half 

 inches deep inside, but sometimes it is partly concealed by grass 

 bent over so as to form a sort of rough arch. 3 to 6 and rarely 7 

 eggs are laid. They vary greatly both in colour and size, ranging 

 from white with distinct chocolate markings, to grayish buff 

 with large brown blotches which nearly cover the ground colour; 

 in size they range from about .55 x .79 to .dd x .90 — the average 

 is about .63 X .85. See Fig. 2, Plate B. 



He who has not had the pleasure of hearing and seeing the 

 Bobolink during the breeding season has a great treat in store. 

 This sweet little songster seems to be the very embodiment of 

 pure happiness, spending most of his time singing the song that 

 has inspired both poet and author. Probably no bird of the New 

 World has been so frequently mentioned in the literature of the 

 country. While the bird is in flight the song is particularly 

 enchanting, reminding one to a certain extent of the European 

 skylark, though it is perhaps richer in tone. 



To find the bird is very different from finding the nest; it 

 takes many hours of patient searching. You ma_y hide near the 



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