AN UNNATURAL INFANT. 11 



new-comer, who did not stay long on the tree 

 after this second disaster. 



The next morning came up out of the nest 

 quite an unnatural oriole baby — he did not 

 cry. Silently, he stepped out upon a twig, and 

 looked about in the new world around him. 

 He carefully dressed his feathers, and often rose 

 to his full height and stretched his legs, as if it 

 were legs and not wings he needed in his new 

 life. The third scion of the household had also 

 a marked character of his own. Having planted 

 himself on the threshold, and found it a conven- 

 ient place to intercept all food on its way to the 

 younger ones still unseen, he remained. Every 

 time the mother came with a mouthful, he flut- 

 tered and coaxed, and usually got it. It was 

 too good a situation to leave and he seemed to 

 have settled for life ; but his wings overpowered 

 his inertia or greed, about four o'clock in the 

 afternoon. 



So long had the third young oriole occupied 

 his position, that the fourth made his appear- 

 ance almost immediately, as though he had 

 been waiting. There does appear to be some 

 regulation of this sort among the orioles, for in 

 all that I have noticed, no two ever came out 

 together (excepting once, when both went back 

 almost instantly, and one returned alone). This 

 late comer had not the whole long sunny day to 



