94 
OUR HOME BIRDS. 
sylvania and the other Middle States, he is known as 
the reed-bird ; at the South he is called the rice-bird ; 
in the Northern and Eastern States, the bobolink. 
(Fig. 10.) But the latter name is a familiar one 
everywhere. 
“ This bird is seven and a half inches long ; and 
winged creature in existence ; he is constantly flying 
and singing — singing as he flies, and singing, appa- 
rently, just because he cannot help it. ‘ The song of 
the male, while the female is sitting, is singular and 
very agreeable. Mounting and hovering on wing at 
a small height above the field, he chants out such a 
jingling medley of short, variable notes, uttered with 
such seeming confusion and rapidity, and continued 
for a considerable time, that it appears as if half a 
dozen birds of different kinds were all singing to- 
his spring suit is 
black, trimmed with 
brownish-yellow 
and a little white. 
In June he turns 
entirely brownish- 
yellow, like his 
mate. 
Fig. 10. — Bobolink. 
“ The bobolink is 
the merriest, most 
rollicking little 
