18 FOOD OF BOBOLINK, BLACKBIRDS, AND GRACKLES. 
America was first settled, the whole northeastern part of the country 
must have presented but few localities, and those of limited area, 
suited to their wants. When the great forests of New England and 
New York were cleared away and transformed into farms with exten- 
sive areas of mowing land intersected with springs and brooks, the 
bobolinks were not slow to avail themselves of these new opportunities 
and soon colonized the whole. At the same time the southeastern 
coast region was also brought under cultivation, and the tidal and 
river lands were devoted to the raising of rice, thus furnishing the 
food needed for the augmented numbers, as noted by Wilson. As 
settlement, with its attendant clearing away of forests, spread west- 
ward, suitable nesting areas were continually added to those already 
created, and the birds had abundant opportunity for great increase in 
numbers. 
Since the bobolinks pass the winter in South America, the southern 
coast of Florida naturally presents to most of them the point of depart- 
ure for the long sea flight to their winter homes. Before reaching this 
spot, however, they stop to rest and feed in the rice fields of the South- 
east, where they remain and recruit their exhausted energies prepara- 
tory to final migration. A small contingent, representing those that 
have nested in the extreme western portion of their range, migrate 
directly down the Mississippi Valley to the rice fields of Louisiana. 
When the birds arrive from the North they are in poor condition, 
having been debilitated by the exertion of reproduction, but they at 
once begin to recuperate with the abundant food furnished by the 
rice, soon become very fat, and, after a few weeks’ rest, are able to 
safely resume the southern journey. On the return migration the con- 
ditions are similar; the birds arrive from their winter home tired out 
with their long flight, and find the fields either newly sown with rice 
or else with the tender blade just appearing above the ground. In 
each case there is an abundant supply of food,and they are soon in 
condition to pursue the journey to their northern breeding ground. 
Here we see the two causes which have combined to bring about all 
the trouble between the rice planters and the bobolinks: (1) The fact 
that the species has probably much increased through the extension of 
its northern breeding ground, and (2) the fact that the rice fields lie 
directly in the path of migration, and afford a convenient place for 
rest and recuperation before and after the flight across the sea. It is 
almost certain that if the rice fields were far outside of the lines of 
migration, they would never be molested. It is probable that long 
before America was discovered the bobolinks gathered in the marshes 
on the southeastern coast and ted upon wild rice and other wild plants 
previous to departure for their winter home. Cultivation of the land 
introduced a more abundant supply of food in the South just at the 
time it afforded a great increase in nesting area in the North. 
