LAND BIRDS. 451 



come first, as is usual with birds of this family, the females following from 

 five to ten days later. Ordinarily the species first becomes abundant 

 at the time the apple trees are coming into full bloom. Almost immediately 

 on the arrival of the females nest-building begins and most nests are com- 

 pleted and contain eggs by the first of June. Dates for fresh eggs in 

 Kalamazoo county are May 21, 1887, June 1 and 2, 1891, June 8 and June 

 11, 1888. On the College campus the young almost invariably leave the 

 nest between June 18 and 30, the great majority between the 20th and 

 25th. 



Before the middle of July both old and young have disappeared 

 from garden, orchard and park, and except for an occasional almost silent 

 individual at rare intervals, none are seen again until about the middle 

 of August, from which time until their departure for the south in September 

 they are fairly common and the male frequently sings almost as sweetly 

 as in May. This disappearance for a month or more is rather apparent 

 than real, for a careful search of the woods and swamps will reveal a fair 

 number of orioles, spending most of their time, however, in the leafy crowns 

 of the higher trees, where they are hardly visible, and being almost silent 

 are pretty sure to be overlooked. They may also be found at this season 

 about wild cherry and service berry trees, feeding on the ripening fruit. 



The nest is a purse-shai3ed net of plant fibres, twine, roots and hair, 

 varying in size and depth, but usually fastened by its upper border to 

 several drooping twigs on the hanging branch of some large tree, preferably 

 an elm, oak, or birch, although nests are seen occasionally in a dozen other 

 kinds of trees. These nests are so firmly fastened and so durably woven 

 that not infrequently a nest lasts for several years, although the builder 

 never uses the same nest for more than a single brood. The bird appears 

 to return year after year to the same tree, and often to the same branch, 

 and sometimes two or even three nests built in consecutive years may be 

 seen on the same branch in winter. The eggs are pale bluish-white or 

 rosy-white, spotted, streaked and pen-scratched with black and brown, 

 mostly at the larger end. They average .91 by .61 inches. The set usually 

 consists of four, but often five are found and rarely six. The period of 

 incubation is about fourteen days. 



Captain Bendire says of its song: "A very peculiar note, a long drawn 

 out chattering 'chae, chae, chae' is apt to draw ones attention to it on its 

 first arrival, and this is more or less frequently uttered throughout the 

 season. This note is difficult to reproduce exactly, and I find its song still 

 more so. One sounds somewhat like *hioh, hioh, tweet, tweet;' another 

 something like 'whee-he-he, whee-he-he, oh whee-he-he-woy-woy.' This 

 last is much more softly uttered than the first." 



The food of the oriole has a wide range, but consists mainly of insects, 

 at least while with us. It is true that it has a special fondness for green 

 peas, sometimes stripping the pods so freely as to cause con- 

 siderable complaint. It also punctures ripening grapes -^^^^^ 

 whenever it has opportunity, but particularly where vines '^ ^ 

 have run up into trees or over arbors or shrubbery in such "^j^ j^g 

 a way as to hide the bird while at work. It is rare to hear Biu of Baltimore 

 complaints from grape growers, for where the vines are 

 numerous and properly pruned the Oriole seldom injures them. Occasion- 

 ally it attacks early apples and pears, digging holes into the soft pulp and 

 of course ruining each apple attacked. This work, however, is often carried 

 on in conjunction with several other birds, notably Red-headed Wood- 



