214 U. S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 211 



almost invariably in pairs, and the male and female showed for each other much 

 tenderness and solicitude. If one strayed from the other, a soft pou-it, soon 

 brought them again together. 



Voice.- — Couch (Cassin, 1862) observed further: "I have never 

 heard the lay of any songster of the feathered tribe expressed more 

 sweetly than that of the present Oriole. At Monterey, it is a favorite 

 cage-bird. The notes of the male are more powerful than those of 

 the female." 



Sennett (1878) says: "It is a sweet singer, never very generous with 

 its music, and only singing when undisturbed. 



"I remember once sitting in the edge of a woods, watching the 

 movements of some Wrens just outside, the only sounds to be heard 

 in the woods being the discordant notes of the Rio Grande Jay, when 

 suddenly, from over my head, there burst upon my ear a melody so 

 sweet and enchanting that I sat entranced, and, listening, forgot all 

 else. I soon discovered the whereabouts of the singer, and watched 

 him as he flitted about from branch to branch, singing his wonderful 

 song. I have no power to describe a bird's song, least of all this 

 Oriole's." 



Field marks. — Audubon's oriole should be easily recognized as a 

 large oriole, with a wholly black head and neck, and with black wings 

 and tail, the rest of the body being yellow, rather more greenish yellow 

 on the back and clearer yellow below, but without any orange tinge. 

 The sexes are practically alike. 



Enemies. — Audubon's oriole probably has as many enemies as 

 other birds, but the cowbirds seem to be as troublesome to it as any of 

 which we have record. Bendire (1895) says that it "seems to be greatly 

 imposed upon by the Red-eyed Cowbird; half of the sets in the collec- 

 tion contain from one to three of these parasitic eggs; but none of the 

 equally common Dwarf Cowbird have, as far as I am aware, yet been 

 found in them." 



Herbert Friedmann (1929) writes: "Near Brownsville, Texas, I 

 found two nests of the Audubon's Oriole; both of them containing 

 eggs of the Red-eyed Cowbird. One had two eggs of the Oriole and 

 one of the Red-eye. The other contained one Red-eyed Cowbird's 

 egg and one of the Dwarf Cowbird and one of the owner. Both 

 northern races of the Red-eyed Cowbird are parasitic on the Audubon's 

 Oriole." 



Winter. — Audubon's oriole is mainly resident throughout the year 

 within its breeding range, but it is said to occur in San Luis Potosi in 

 winter, and to wander casually as far north as San Antonio, Tex. 

 H. P. Attwater (1892) called it a "rare winter wanderer" in the latter 

 locality; he secured a fine male there on March 27, 1890, and, on 



