202 U. S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 211 



records of this song, I can find no fixed pattern for the song and no 

 general rule that does not have exceptions. One marvels that under 

 such conditions the song, when well known, is always recognizable in 

 the field. The quality, mainly musical but with occasional harsh 

 notes, is more like that of the robin than that of the Baltimore oriole. 

 While most of the notes are distinctly separated, there are two-note 

 phrases, connected by liquid consonant sound, and slurs. The notes 

 vary up and down in pitch, but there are occasional series of notes on 

 the same pitch. 



"The number of notes in the songs I have recorded varies from 7 

 to 19, averaging about 12. The songs vary from 1% to 3% seconds in 

 length. The pitch varies from E" to B'" ', 3% tones more than an 

 octave. Individual songs range from 2% tones to an octave, or 6 

 tones. The average range is about 3.85 tones. 



"A common characteristic of many of the songs is that they end in 

 a downward slurred note, distinctly harsher than the other notes of 

 the song, that suggests the quality of the scarlet tanager, rather than 

 that of the robin; 22 of my records have such an ending. 



"Another characteristic is a series of very short notes, all on one 

 pitch, usually near the end of the song. I have heard this described 

 as a trill, but I use the term 'trill' only for series of notes so rapid 

 that they cannot be separated by ear and counted. Under that 

 definition, I have never heard an orchard oriole sing a trill. The 

 number of notes that are thus rapidly repeated varies from 3 to 6 in 

 my records, and 18 of them contain such a series of notes, while only 

 3 are without this series or the downward slur; 11 records contain 

 both. Downward slurs are common, though not always terminal; 27 

 of my records contain them and 14 contain 2 or more. Upward slurs 

 are rarer, only 6 records containing them. 



"The orchard oriole sings from the time of its arrival to the earlier 

 part of July. In eight seasons when I was able to observe this species, 

 the last song averaged July 10, with July 5, 1944, and July 17, 1941, 

 as earliest and latest dates. This bird has a long, rattle-like call, and 

 a shorter one very similar to the chack of the redwing." 



The vivacious, attractive song has been compared to the rollicking 

 outburst of the bobolink, the rich spring song of the fox sparrow, and 

 the warbling songs of the purple finch or the warbling vireo. It is 

 not as loud, nor as rich as that of the Baltimore oriole and is quite 

 unlike it, but it is equally pleasing. Chapman (1912) says of it: 

 "His voice is indeed unusually rich and flexible, and he uses it with 

 rare skill and expression. Words can not describe his song, but no 

 lover of bird music will be long in the vicinity of a singing Orchard 

 Oriole without learning the distinguished songster's name." C. W. 

 Townsend (1920) writes: "The full song of the Orchard Oriole is given 



