ICTERID.E — THE ORIOLES. 201 



a single tree. Although constructed in a manner almost precisely similar to 

 those of the common eastern species, its nest is less frequently pendulous, 

 being in many cases fixed between the upright twigs near the top of the tree. 

 It is, however, not unfrequently suspended, like that of the Baltimore, from 

 the extremity of a drooping branch, though very rarely in so beautiful 

 a manner. The notes of this Oriole, which are similar to those of the 

 Baltimore, are neither so distinct, so mellow, nor so strong, and their effect 

 is quite different from that produced by the splendid mellow whistling of 

 the eastern species ; and the mellow, rolling chatter so characteristic of the 

 latter is not so full in the western species, and generally ends in a sharp 

 choiv, much like the curious mewing of an Ictcria. He regards Bullock's 

 Oriole as altogether a less attractive species. 



Mr. Lord found this bird by no means an aluindant species in British 

 Columbia. Those that were seen seemed to prefer the localities where the 

 scrub-oaks grew, to the pine regions. He found their long, pendulous nests 

 suspended from points of oak branches, without any attempt at concealment. 

 He never met with any of these birds north of Eraser's Piiver, and very 

 rarely east of the Cascades. A few stragglers visited his quarters at Colville, 

 arriving late in May and leaving early in September, the males usually pre- 

 ceding the females three or four days. 



On the Shasta Plains Mr. Lord noticed, in the nesting of this bird, a 

 singular instance of the readiness with which birds alter their habits under 

 difficulties. A solitary oak stood by a little patcli of water, both removed 

 by many miles from other objects of the kind. Every available branch and 

 spray of this tree had one of the woven nests of this brilliant bird hanging 

 from it, though hardly known to colonize elsewhere in this manner. 



Dr. Coues, in an interesting paper on the habits of this species in the 

 Naturalist for November, 1871, states that its nests, though having a general 

 resemblance in their style of architecture, differ greatly from one another, 

 usually for obvious reasons, such as their situation, the time taken for their 

 construction, and even the taste and skill of the builders. He describes one 

 nest, built in a pine-tree, in which, in a very ingenious manner, these ])irds 

 bent down tlie long, straight, needle-like leaves of tlie stiff, terminal brancli- 

 lets, and, tying their ends together, made them serve as the upper i)ortion 

 of the nest, and a means of attachment. This nest was nine inches Ions: 

 and four in diameter. 



Another nest, described by the same writer, Avas suspended from the forked 

 twig of an oak, and draped with its leaves, almost to concealment. It liad 

 an unusual peculiarity of being arched over and roofed in at the top, with a 

 dome of the same material as the rest of the nest, and a small round hole on 

 one side, just large enough to admit the birds. 



The eggs of tliis Oriole are slightly larger tlian those of the Baltimore, and 

 their ground-color is more of a creamy-white, yet occasionally with a dis- 

 tinctly bluish tinge. They are marbled and marked with irregular lines and 



VOL. II. 26 



