BalUmore Oriole SONG-BIRDS. 



If the situation is protected from birds of prey, the nest 

 is made quite open at the top ; but if it is in a wild and 

 remote region, the structure is more bottle-shaped, with a 

 small opening, which completely hides the sitting bird. 

 This accounts for the great variation in the form of nests 

 found in different localities. 



The Oriole is a beneficent garden guest ; his food is largely 

 insectivorous, and he not only eats worms and grubs, but 

 also strips cocoons of their latent mischief ; so we will not 

 begrudge him a few cherries for dessert. 



He is a quick-witted bird, and a good neighbour to his 

 fellows. Many instances of his power of thinking have 

 come under my eyes, but none more forcible than an epi- 

 sode of last season. In June I was sitting under the trees, 

 watching the evolutions of a pair of Eedstarts, when a vio- 

 lent commotion in the shrubbery attracted me. Catbirds 

 were screaming lustily, and Kobins, Wrens, and Sparrows 

 collected at the call in a body, while a gorgeous Oriole shot 

 through the trees, close above my head. The cause of the 

 rumpus was a chipmunk, who had dragged a young Catbird 

 from the nest by the leg (for this little pest steals birds as 

 well as eggs, though I have never seen them eat a bird). 

 The troop of birds succeeded in frightening away the 

 intruder, and I returned to my hammock, thinking no 

 more of it. Not so with the Oriole. He silently watched 

 the chipmunk, who sat chattering in a pine. Several min- 

 utes passed, and then the chipmunk ran out in full view on 

 a long bough. Quick as a flash the Oriole darted at him, 

 and pierced the poppy eyes with his slender beak, in rapid 

 succession. The unfortunate chipmunk fell to the ground, 

 and was put out of misery, while the Oriole flew off as if 

 nothing unusual had happened, and was soon swinging and 

 singing in the elm again, the type of summer fervour. Un- 

 like many highly coloured birds, he retains his brilliancy 

 after moulting, and also has a second period of song, which 

 lasts from August until early September, when he leaves us. 



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