ORCHARD ORIOLE 197 



Bendire (1895) describes a large well-built nest, taken on Shelter 

 Island, N. Y. : "The outer diameter at the widest part, a little below 

 the middle of the nest, is 4% inches; the outside depth is 4 inches. 

 The upper rim of the nest is somewhat contracted; the inner cup is 

 3 inches deep by 2% inches in diameter. The sides are thick and 

 securely fastened to several branches, but the bottom does not come 

 within 2 inches of the fork of the crotch in which it is placed." It 

 was placed "in an upright fork of a small branch in a thorn pear tree." 

 Ora W. Knight (1908) watched the building of a nest in Texas: "A 

 nest which was discovered in its very first stages of construction was 

 completed in 6 days and an egg was laid daily until a set of five was 

 completed, when incubation commenced. Both birds help to build 

 the nest and aid in the incubation." 



The orchard oriole is a friendly, sociable bird and is often found 

 nesting in orchards with kingbirds, robins, chipping sparrows and 

 other species, with all of which it seems to be on good terms. The 

 eastern kingbird seems to be a favorite companion, from which it 

 may gain some protection. This companionship is referred to above 

 and several observers have mentioned it in print. H. C. Campbell 

 (1891), for example, mentions seven such cases; in one case the oriole's 

 nest was within 7 feet of the kingbird's and in another instance the 

 two nests were only 3 feet apart. He says further: "In 1887 I found 

 a nest of the Orchard Oriole in an apple tree. When the nest con- 

 tained five eggs I collected it. While at the nest a pair of Kingbirds 

 came and made even more demonstration than the Orioles. I found 

 the Kingbird's nest in a rotten apple tree about 200 feet distant from 

 the tree containing the Oriole's nest." 



John V. Dennis has sent me some full notes on his interesting ex- 

 perience with what might be considered as communal nesting of the 

 orchard oriole in the Delta National Wildlife Refuge in Louisiana, 

 located between the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico, some 

 70 or 80 miles below New Orleans. "Lying on the east bank of the 

 Mississippi, two miles above Pilotstown, is the refuge headquarters 

 area, comprising approximately seven acres. Seventy-eight shade 

 trees, as well as numerous shrubs and ornamental plantings, are in 

 the area. Forty-five of the trees are hybrids of live oak and water 

 oak. The other trees are mainly camphor, willow, and magnolia. 



"Nest building began about May 1. The peak of nesting activity 

 occurred during the first half of June. The last nest to be observed 

 under construction was one begun on July 4. A total of 1 14 nests were 

 counted during this single nesting season on the seven-acre tract 

 under study." 



Dennis counted 45 oaks, containing a total of 80 nests; 15 camphor 

 trees, 8 nests; 8 magnolias, 5 nests; 5 willows, 4 nests; 2 elms, 6 nests; 



