198 
RICE BUNTING. 
and every call and invitation that nature had put in his power, 
for him to come out. This was too much for the feelings of 
my venerable friend ; he procured a ladder, and, mounting to 
the spot where the bird was suspended, opened the cage, took 
out the prisoner, and restored him to liberty and to his parent, 
who, with notes of great exultation, accompanied his flight to 
the woods. The happiness of my good friend was scarcely 
less complete, and shewed itself in his benevolent countenance; 
and I could not refrain saying to myself, — If such sweet 
sensations can be derived from a single circumstance of this 
kind, how exquisite — how unspeakably rapturous — must the 
delight of those individuals have been, who have rescued their 
fellow beings from death, chains, and imprisonment, and 
restored them to the arms of their friends and relations ! 
Surely, in such godlike actions, virtue is its own most j 
abundant reward. 
RICE BUNTING. — EMBERIZA ORYZIVORA. 
Plate XII. Figs. 1. and 2. 
Emberiza oryzivora, Linn. Syst. p. 311, 16 Le Ortolan da la Caroline, Briss. 
Orn. iii. p. 282, 8. pi. 15. fig. 3. PI. enl. 388. fig. 1 L’Agripenne ou l’ortolan 
de Riz, Buff. Ois. iv. p. 337 Rice Bird, Catesb. Car. i. pi. 14. — Bdw. pi. 2. 
— Latham , ii. p. 188. No. 25. — Peak's Museum, No. 6026. 
D OL YCHONYX OR YZIVOR US. — S wainson. 
Icterus agripennis, Bonap. Synop. p. 53. — Doly cliony x oryzivorus, Sw. Synop. 
Birds of Mexico, 435 North. Zool. ii. p. 278.' — Aud. pi. 54. Orn. Biog. i. | 
p. 283. 
This is the Boblink of the eastern and northern states, and 
the Rice and Reed Bird of Pennsylvania and the southern 
states. Though small in size, he is not so in consequence ; 
his coming is hailed by the sportsman with pleasure ; while 
the careful planter looks upon him as a devouring scourge, | 
and worse than a plague of locusts. Three good qualities, 
however, entitle him to our notice, particularly as these three 
are rarely found in the same individual, — his plumage is 
