14 
THE RICE BIRD.— BOB-O-LHSTK. 
persons unaware of this are often induced to search spots many rods distant 
from the object of their pursuit. The nest is very simple, usually consisting 
of a few pieces of hay and straw, so loosely arranged as hardly to admit of 
removal without falling to pieces. The eggs, five in number, measure fif- 
teen-sixteenths of an inch in length, and eleven-sixteenths in breadth. About 
the 8th of August, they assemble in large flocks, and take their departure 
for the south.” 
In a male preserved in spirits, the palate is ascending, with two lateral 
ridges, which on meeting anteriorly form a soft prominence ; on the upper 
mandible beneath are three ridges, of which the lateral are larger ; the lower 
mandible is deeply concave ; the width of the mouth 4i twelfths. The 
tongue is 5 twelfths long, sagittate and papillate at the base, narrow, deep, 
pointed, and with a median groove on its upper surface. It thus approach- 
es in form to that of the Finches and Buntings. The oesophagus is 2£ inches 
long, its greatest width 4h twelfths, contracting to 2 twelfths as it enters 
the thorax; the proventric.ulus 3 twelfths broad, its glands forming a belt 
4 twelfths in breadth. The stomach is rather small, roundish, much com- 
pressed, 6 twelfths in length, and of the same breadth ; its lateral muscles 
thick, the tendons large; the epithelium thin, tough, reddish-brown, with 
longitudinal rugae. The intestine is 7 inches 9 twelfths long ; its average 
width 1^ twelfths ; the coeca \ twelfth long, \ twelfth broad, 9 twelfths from 
the extremity. 
The trachea is 1 h inches long, 1 twelfth broad at the upper part, con- 
siderably compressed , the rings 55, with two dimidiate ; the muscles as in 
the last species ; bronchi of about 12 half rings. 
Rice-Bunting, Emberiza oryzivora , Wils. Amer. Orn., vol. ii. p. 48 
Icterus agripennis, Bonap. Syn. p. 53. 
Dolichonyx oryzivorus, Sharp-tailed Rice-bird , Swains, and Rich. F. Bor. Amer., 
vol. ii. p. 278. 
Rice-Bird, or Bob-o-link, Nutt. Man., vol. i. p. 185. 
Rice-bird, Icterus agripennis, Aud. Orn. Biog., vol. i. p. 283 ; vol. v. p. 486. 
Male with the head, cheeks, lower parts, wings, and tail, black ; a band of 
brownish-yellow across the hind neck ; the back anteriorly black, the feathers 
with yellowish edges, posteriorly light grey, passing into white, of which 
colour are the scapulars. Female with the upper parts light yellowish- 
brown, longitudinally streaked with blackish-brown ; the lower parts light 
greyish-yellow, the sides streaked with dusky. In autumn, the males as- 
sume the plumage of the female. 
Male, 7, 11. 
Passes from Texas eastward and northward. Breeds from the Middle 
Districts northward. Extremely abundant. Migratory. 
