The Bobolink, formerly very abundant 
in this locality, lias hardly made an appear- 
ance the present season. I have seen but 
two or three pairs during the entire Sum- 
mer, where previously from seventy-five 
to one hundred pairs have nested. Their 
non-appearance has caused me to keep a 
sharp lookout for them , and in many mead- 
ows where they have been very common, 
not a single bird could be seen this season. 
What can have caused them to desert 
their old breeding grounds? — C. O. Tracy , 
Taftsville , Vt. 
[We have had an article in type for two months on this 
subject, but the figures were given from memory and we 
were not sure of them, so the matter lays over until we have 
time. The reason is patent, however, to those living on 
the New Jersey marshes and the Delaware river and further 
| South.— E d.] 
O.&O. Vll.Nov.l882.p. /72 
W. Middlesex Co. Mass. 
June 25-30. 1889. 
Ashby - — Common and generally Distributed, iJiJruyghoux the 
farming country, one or two pairs nesting inJ^evSry 
w es saw none in any of xhe damp meadows. 
- o --W v - — — f i el do f 
.nglis' grass. es saw none in any of xhe damp meadows. On June 
29 zh 7 observed a male feeding young which were scattered aboux m 
a fielr of tall grass. After getxing a supply of food which 
could be plainly seen in his bill, he would fly aboux over the 
field, at the height of 30 or 4p feet, quivering his wings rapid- 
ly precisely as when in the act of singing on wing. Sometimes he 
OU d c-T rcle m this way for several minutes, occasionally pois- 
ing over one spot and scaling down nearly to the^fiSSSnwould would 
riSS ^ al - j . and resUme his Pillar flight. After several fail- 
ures of -this be would at last discover the young bird of which 
he was m search and would disappear in the grass for a minute 
ox two while feeding it. -v e observed that he visixed different 
v/ere^attL^ 6 l™ 1 * dlfferent tlmes » showing that Xhe younp 
- Tt seemea remar!!aw ' j that he 
