. Useful birds and their protection. Containing brief descriptions of the more common and useful species of Massachusetts, with accounts of their food habits, and a chapter on the means of attracting and protecting birds . Figr. 144. — Boboliuk, male, and armyworm, one-half natural size. bird that completely baffles the latter-day interpreters ofbird music. His notes tumble out with such headlong rapid-ity, in an apparent effort to jump over each other, that it isnext to impossible for the scribe to set them down in theproper sequence of musical notation. Nevertheless, thisharum-scarum express
. Useful birds and their protection. Containing brief descriptions of the more common and useful species of Massachusetts, with accounts of their food habits, and a chapter on the means of attracting and protecting birds . Figr. 144. — Boboliuk, male, and armyworm, one-half natural size. bird that completely baffles the latter-day interpreters ofbird music. His notes tumble out with such headlong rapid-ity, in an apparent effort to jump over each other, that it isnext to impossible for the scribe to set them down in theproper sequence of musical notation. Nevertheless, thisharum-scarum expression of irrepressible joy is of the mostpleasing character, and ranks among the finest music of BIRDS OF FIELD AND GARDEN. 323 The males chase each other madly, and swiftly pursue thefemales over the grass tops ; or, sailing with down-bentwings, pour forth their torrent of music. The alarm note isa metallic cJienl\ AVhen the young have been reared, themales begin to lose their striking dress, the song ceases,and early in August the Bobolinks are seen flying aboutin small flocks, uttering mellowchinks, as they prepare for theirsouthern journey. In May, June, and Jul} insectsform about eighty-five per cent,of the Bobolinks food. The l)ird is very destructive to grasshop- ^^^- , female. pers and caterpillars, particularly to the army worm. Iteats some parasitic Hymenoptera, and this may be lookedupon as a bad hal)it ; but otherwise little fault can be foundwith the Bobolink while it remains in the meadows of thenorth. Bobolinks once caused a great loss to the Atlantic coastrice growers, and in Septem))er most of their employeeswere engaged in shooting at or frightening
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjectbirds, bookyear1913
