BOBOLINK—Family Icteridæ.
494. Dolichonyx oryzivorus. 7 inches.
This bird is found over most of North America from the southern parts of Canada south, and has been gradually extending westward as far as California. During mating season it is hard to find any other bird so completely filled with music as are these birds. They are also quite sociable birds, and several pairs of them may be found nesting in the same piece of meadow land, and filling the air with their sweet, wild music. They place their nest in a shallow hollow on the ground; it is lined with grass and frequently so covered as to be almost arched over to conceal the eggs. Four or five eggs of a grayish white, thickly blotched and spotted with brown of different shades and lilac, generally covered with ground color on the larger end (.84 × .62).