STURNHLE. 279 



ft Bob-link," u Rice-bird," and *■' Reed-bird/' is termed by the Cree Indians 

 " Skunk-bird," from the similarity it bears to the quadruped of that name in 

 its white markings. It enters Georgia from the southward in May, and reaches 

 the fifty-fourth parallel, which appears to be its most northern limit, in the be- 

 ginning of June. While on its passage, it frequents moist places and newly- 

 ploughed fields, feeding on flies and caterpillars, and also on the early wheat and 

 barley in its milky state. As soon as the young are able to fly, they resort to the 

 corn-fields of New England, and commit great depredations : in the fur-countries 

 they feed on the seeds of the Zizania aquatica, which does not grow to the 

 northward of the Saskatchewan. Its eggs are purplish-white, blotched with 

 lavender-purple and spotted with umber round the thick end : they are seven 

 lines long. — R. 



DESCRIPTION 

 Of a male, killed in June, 1827, on the Saskatchewan. 



Colour. — Head and whole under plumage velvet-black. Fore part of the back, the 

 shoulders, wings, and tail pitch-black; ends of the quills and tail fading to brown; and 

 tbe greater coverts, exterior quills, tertiaries, tail, and thigh feathers more or less broadly 

 edged with brownish-yellow. Middle of the back lead-grey ; scapulars, rump, and upper 

 tail coverts white. A large patch of ochre-yellow on the nape and back of the neck. 

 Bill black. Legs brown. 



Form, typical. Bill short, conic, Finch-like, angulated at the base, and slightly sinuated 

 beyond ; culmen convex, nearly straight ; tip compressed and entire. Wings long and 

 pointed ; the two first quills much longer than the others, which rapidly become shorter : 

 lesser quills distinctly emarginate. Tail rounded, scansorial, the outer webs very narrow, 

 the inner broad, and the shafts projecting in very fine, lengthened points. Tarsi, toes, and 

 claws lengthened and slender ; the latter but slightly curved. 



The plumage of the bird above described, and of others killed at the same date, is de- 

 prived of all its loose edgings, being so much worn as to be evidently on the point of 

 moulting. Wilson says that, in June, the male assumes the dress of the female, which has 

 the back streaked with brownish-black; the whole under parts dull yellow; and the bill 

 flesh-coloured. In some of our specimens, killed in June, the front feathers are still slightly 

 edged with the yellow of the preceding season. 









Dimensions 



















Of the male. 















Inch. 



Lin. 





Inch, 



Lin. 





Inch. 



Lin. 



Length total 



. 7 



o 



Length of bill above . 



. 



n 



Length of middle toe 



. 



10i 



„ of tail 



3 







., of bill to rictus 







8i 



,, of its nail . 







H 



„ of wing 



. 4 







,, of tarsus 



. 1 







„ of hind toe 

 ,, of its nail . 



. 

 



G 



