SOME BIRDS THAT COME IN MAY 415 
top of back and wings black, except a few margins and 
quills that are white edged. The breast and underparts, 
lower part of back, and lesser wing-coverts are orange 
flame, while his tail is partly black and partly orange. 
“Two other tree-top birds that arrive at about the 
same time, one to remain and one to pass on, wear some- 
what the same combination of red and black, — the Red- 
start and the Blackburnian Warbler. But, besides 
being much smaller birds, they both belong to the 
pretty tribe of Warblers that, with a few notable ex- 
ceptions, such as the Chat and Water-thrushes, should 
be more properly called ‘lispers’ and not be confused 
with the clear-toned Oriole. 
“Once the female Oriole arrives, usually several days 
after the male, his complaining call, ‘Will you? Will 
you really, truly?’ gradually lessens: and after a few 
weeks, when nest building begins, it quite disappears, or 
rather, is appropriated by the songless female, who, while 
she weaves the nest, is encouraged by the clarion song of 
her mate. The plumage of the female is brown and gray 
blended with orange above, the head, back, and throat 
being mottled with black, while the underparts are 
a dull orange, with little of the flaming tints of the 
male. 
“Though the Oriole exposes himself more freely to view 
than most of our highly coloured birds and in fact seems to 
regard his gift of beauty anything but seriously, he takes no 
chances, however, in the locating of his nest, which is not 
only from twenty feet above the ground upward, but is 
suspended from a forked branch that is at once tough yet 
so slender that no marauding cat would dare venture to 
