1 194 



Home Nature-Study Course. 



And his glorious song is for her alone. Some hold that no two orioles have the same 

 song, and I know of two individuals which had songs sung by no other birds; 

 one gave a phrase from the Waldvogel's song in Sigfried; the other sang over and 

 over " Sweet birdie, hello, hello." The orioles can chatter and scold as well as sing. 



The oriole is a brave defender of his nest and a most devoted father, working 

 hard to feed his ever hungry nestlings. We can hear these hollow mites peeping 

 for more food, " Tee dee dee. Tee dee dee " shrill and constant if we stop for a 

 moment under the nest in Jtme. The young birds dress in the safe colors of the 

 mother, the males not donning their bright plumage until the second year. 

 A brilliant colored fledgling would not live long in a world where sharp eyes are 

 in constant quest for little birds to fill empty stomachs. 



The food of the oriole places it among our most beneficial birds, since it is always 

 ready to cope with the hairy caterpillars avoided by most birds. The oriole has 

 learned to abstract the caterpillar from its spines and is thus able to swallow 

 him minus his " whiskers." The orioles are waging a great war against the terrible 

 brown-tail and gipsy moths in New England; they also eat click beetles and many 

 other noxious insects. Once when we were breeding big caterpillars in our insectary, 

 an oriole came in through the open windows of the greenhouse, and thinking he 

 had found a bonanza proceeded to work it and carried off our precious crawlers 

 before we discovered what he was at. 



The orioles winter in Central America and give us scarcely four months of their 

 company. They do not usually appear before May and leave in early September. 

 Various names are given to the oriole, such as " Golden Robin," " Hangbird," 

 "Hang-nest," "Firebird." 



LESSON XXXV 



THE BLACK CRICKET 



Purpose. — To show that the cricket has his wing covers developed 

 into a mandoHn or vioHn, which he plays to attract his mate. 



Method.— M.2i lie 

 some cricket cages 

 as follows: take a 

 small flowerpot and 

 plant in it a root of 

 fresh grass or clover. 

 Place over this and 

 press well into the 

 soil a lantern lamp 

 chimney. Cover the 

 top with mosquito 

 netting. Place the 

 pot in its saucer, so 

 that it may be 



The male cricket at the left playing his wing matidolin to ^^'^^^^^^ ^Y keepmg 

 charm his sable sweetheart at the right the saucer filled. 



