164 BIRDS OF PENNSYLVANIA. 



the appellation "Skunk-blackbird" notes, as Dr. Coues remarks, the 

 resemblance in color to the obnoxious quadruped. When the Bobo- 

 link has shed his showy dress of black, white and yellow, he frequents 

 chiefly the reedy marshes of tide-rivers, and is known as "Reed-bird;" 

 in the Oarolinas, Georgia and elsewhere in the South, they congre-. 

 gate in great numbers on the rice-fields, where they are called "Rice- 

 birds." In the West Indies, these birds, from their excessive fatness, 

 are known as "Butterbirds." "The name 'Ortolan', applied by some 

 gunners and restaurateurs to this bird, as well as to the Carolina Rail 

 (Porzana Carolina) is in either case a strange misnomer, the Ortolan 

 being a fringilline bird of Europe, Emberiza hortulana, Linn." Coues. 

 Notwithstanding the fact that the Reed-bird is much larger than the 

 English sparrow, many game dealers are in the habit of "bunching" 

 the two species and disposing of them as "Reed -birds." The Reed- 

 bird, however, can easily be recognized by the pointed tail feathers, 

 long legs and claws ; the tail feathers of the sparrow are not pointed, 

 and the legs and claws are short. Even when both birds are picked 

 and their legs and heads cut off, the Reed-bird can mostly be distin- 

 guished by its plump, yellow and oily body ; the carcase of a fat 

 sparrow is never uniformely yellow, but is dark colored, with narrow 

 streaks of yellow. The Bobolinks arrive in Pennsylvania, in flocks of 

 from eight to twenty-five individuals, from May 5 to 20. The males 

 generally make their appearance, about the fields, meadows and or- 

 chards, several days in advance of the females ; they also appear to 

 proceed much more leisurely, on their vernal migrations, than the fe- 

 males. Both sexes migrate chiefly at night when their "mellow metallic 

 chink" may be heard both in spring and fall. The song of the Bobolink, 

 is a peculiar, rapid jingling, indescribable medley of sounds, started first 

 by one bird, quickly followed by another, and another, until the whole 

 flock are engaged, when suddenly, without any apparent reason, they 

 all at the same instance stop their vocal concert. When the male as- 

 sumes the livery of the female, he appears to loose his vocal powers, 

 and is only heard to utter a sharp clinking note, like that of the female. 

 These birds, according to my experience, occur in eastern and southern 

 Pennsylvania mainly as passing visitants,* during the spring and fall, 

 when they ye common. Mr. Edward Ricksecker, of Nazareth, Pa., 

 however, informs me that the Bobolink breeds in Northampton county, 

 of this State. The nests and eggs are described by Dr. Coues as follows : 

 "The Bobolink makes a rude and flimsy nest of dried grass on the 

 ground, and lays four or five eggs, 85 long by about 0.63 broad, dull 

 bluish-white, sometimes brownish-white, spotted and blotched with 

 dark chocolate or blackish- brown surface marks, and others of paler hue 



*Nests of this species, it is said, have on one or two occasions been found in Chester county 

 and young unable to fly have once been taken in Delaware county, Pa. 



