Bill of moderate length, sometimes short, seldom longer than the head,
stout, straight, conical, compressed, tapering, pointed; upper
mandible with the dorsal line nearly straight, the nasal sinus short
and very wide, the ridge thus appearing to encroach on the forehead,
the sides rounded, the edges without notch; lower mandible with the
angle short and rounded, the dorsal line straight, the edges involute.
Nostrils basal, roundish or oblong. Head rather large, ovate; neck
short; body moderately full. Legs of moderate length, stout, rather
slender; tarsus compressed, with eight anterior scutella; hind toe
large, lateral toes equal, the outer adherent at the base. Claws
generally long, arched, compressed, acute. Plumage soft, blended, in
the males usually glossy. Wings of moderate length, with the outer
three or four quills longest, the first being very little shorter than
the second, or sometimes even exceeding it; tail of twelve feathers,
of moderate length, or elongated. The roof of the upper mandible
concave, with three longitudinal ridges, of which the middle is
larger, and at the base forms a hard prominence; tongue sagittate and
papillate at the base, narrow, deep, pointed. Œsophagus wide,
dilated about the middle; proventriculus oblong; stomach roundish or
elliptical, with the lateral muscles distinct and well developed; the
epithelium dense and longitudinally rugous; intestine short and rather
wide; cœca very small, cylindrical; cloaca oblong. Trachea simple,
with four pairs of inferior laryngeal muscles. Female much smaller.
Nest various, on trees or bushes, or on the ground, generally
elaborate. Eggs about five, ovate, spotted and streaked.
GENUS I. DOLICHONYX, Swains. RICE-BIRD.
Bill rather short, very stout, moderately compressed, conical; upper
mandible with the dorsal line straight, a little convex at the base,
and very slightly deflected at the end, its ridge rather broad,
indistinct, sides rounded, edges direct, overlapping, tip rather
acute; lower mandible with the angle of moderate length, very broad,
dorsal outline ascending, slightly convex at the base, sides erect and
convex, tip acute; gape-line ascending for a fourth of its length,
then direct. Nostrils small, elliptical, operculate. Plumage blended,
but firm, with little gloss. Wings rather long, pointed, the first
quill longest. Tail of moderate length, the feathers narrow and
acuminate. Toes large; claws very long, little arched, slender,
tapering to a fine point.
211. 1. Dolichonyx oryzivora, Linn. Wandering Rice-bird.--Bob-o-link.
Maybird. Ortolan.
Plate LIV. Male and Female.
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 assume the plumage of the
female.
_Male_, 7, 11.
Passes from Texas eastward and northward. Breeds from the Middle
Districts northward. Extremely abundant. Migratory.
Rice-Bunting, Emberiza oryzivora, Wils. Amer. Orn. v. ii. p.
48.
Icterus agripennis, Bonap. Syn. p. 53.
Dolichonyx oryzivorus, Sharp-Tailed Rice-Bird, Swains. & Rich.
F. Bor. Amer. v. ii. p. 278.
Rice-Bird, or Bob-o-link, Nutt. Man. v. i. p. 185.
Rice-Bird, Icterus agripennis, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. i. p. 283;
v. v. p. 486.
GENUS II. MOLOTHRUS, Swains. COW-BIRD.
Bill rather short, very stout, moderately compressed, conical; upper
mandible with the dorsal line slightly convex, its ridge flattened for
half its length, afterwards narrow, sides convex, edges direct, tip
rather acute; lower mandible with the angle short and wide, the dorsal
outline ascending, straight, sides erect and convex, edges involute,
tip acute; gape-line gently ascending for a third of its length,
afterwards direct. Nostrils small, elliptical. Plumage blended,
glossy. Wings rather long, pointed, the second quill longest, the
first almost equal. Tail of moderate length, the feathers broad and
rounded.