BALTIMORE ORIOLE 263 



oriole "was caught by a small cord firmly woven into the nest structure, 

 and so tightly twisted about his neck that he strangled to death." 

 The following is quoted from Herbert Friedmann's 'The Cowbirds' 

 (1929): 



An uncommon victim. Bendire, (1895, p. 486), says "this species is rarely 

 imposed upon by the Cowbird." 



Gregg, in Chemung County, New York (Proc. Elmira Acad, of Science, vol. I, 

 no. 1, June, 1891, p. 26), records finding a nest of this bird with two young Orioles 

 hardly fledged and one young Cowbird big enough to fly. 



S. E. Parshall, (Orn. and Ool. IX, no. 11, Nov. 1884, p. 139), found a deserted 

 nest containing three eggs of the Orioles, and three of the Cowbird and three 

 more of the Cowbird covered up. 



B. H. Warren (Birds of Pennsylvania, 1890, pp. 209-210) writes that, * * * 

 on three occasions I have discovered the shattered remains of these eggs (Cow- 

 birds), directly beneath the pendant nests of Baltimore orioles * * * It may 

 be that this species sometimes * * * tosses out alien eggs." 



There are other records from Indiana, Iowa, and Michigan. 



Fall. — Walter Bradford Barrows (1912) summarizes the behavior of 

 the Baltimore oriole in late summer: 



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. 



Francis Beach White (1937) remarks: "In July, a few Orioles are 

 about till the second week, and occasionally a pair is seen, or an 

 adult with young; but after that they are very scarce. These late 

 birds are likely to be seen low hi thickets — where, indeed, they spend 

 a good deal of time feeding in the breeding season — but once in a 

 while one will silently flash across from one tree to bury itself in the 

 foliage of another." 



Apparently the old males do not remain with their families very 

 long after the breeding season. I find in my notes these references 

 to this subject: "July 30, 191G— Mr. Faxon and I saw nearly a 

 dozen birds all in female or ju venal plumage more or less associated 

 and not a single adult male among them. I recall noting the same 

 thing in past seasons," and "August 13, 1917— Two male orioles 

 were feeding silently this morning in the locust trees, where they 

 found a small, green larva. These birds, although near each other, 



380928—57 18 



