10 



Gexus I.— DOLICHONYX, Swains. RICE-BIRD. 



Bill rather short, very stout, moderately compressed, conical; upper man- 

 ble with the dorsal line straight, a little convex at the base, and very slightly 

 deflected at the end, its ridge rather broad, indistinct, sides rounded, edges 

 direct, overlapping, tip rather acute; lower mandible with the angle of mode- 

 rate length, very broad, dorsal outline ascending, slightly convex at the base, 

 sides erect and convex, tip acute; gap-line ascending for a fourth of its 

 length, then direct. Nostrils small, elliptical, operculate. Plumage blended, 

 but firm, with little gloss. Wings rather long, pointed, the first quill longest. 

 Tail of moderate length, the feathers narrow and acuminate. Toes large; 

 claws very long, little arched, slender, tapering to a fine point. 



THE RICE-BIRD.— BOB-O-LINK. 



"■^Dolichonyx oryzivora, Linn. 

 PLATE CCXI Male and Female. 



Very few of these birds pass through Louisiana in spring, and still fewer, 

 on their return, in autumn; for which reason I am inclined to think that they 

 do not spend the winter months so much in the southern parts of America 

 as in some of the West India Islands. Indeed, I am the more inclined to 

 believe this to be the case, as they seldom penetrate far into the interior, 

 during their stay with us, but prefer the districts bordering upon the Atlantic, 

 through which they pass and repass in incredible numbers. 



In Louisiana, small detached flocks of males or of females appear about the 

 middle of March and beginning of April, alighting in the meadows and 

 grain-fields, where they pick up the grubs and insects found about the roots 

 of the blades. I have heard it asserted, though I cannot give it as a fact, 



