194 HIGHWAYS AND BYWAYS. 



The orioles seem partial to this orchard, and already 

 have seven or eight nests in it. They usually hang them on 

 the taller elms, out of reach of cats or boys ; but 

 the last one that we found is tied to the dr}^ limb of a 

 small apple tree, and placed only a little higher than a 

 man's head. In looking into it we disturbed the sitting 

 bird, which darted out past us, winnowing the face as 

 she flew away with an angry scream. 



In a moment half a dozen orioles of both sexes gath- 

 ered about us, scolding and fretting at the disturbance. 

 There seems to be a bond of sympathy between them 

 in time of danger, and they pool their forces for the 

 common defense. The robins' nests were very numer- 

 ous here, and some of them contained the second set of 

 eggs. In one tree were two chippies' nests of addled 

 eggs, and in each nest was an egg of the cow bunting. 

 All the spring an albino robin sang in this orchard and 

 became an object of much interest to the family until 

 two men from the city came out gunning, and one of 

 them shot the bird. The life of every beautiful bird is 

 endangered when these tramping ruffians are abroad. 

 A few days ago I saw two men drive under a shade 

 tree, shoot a robin off her nest, throw the bird into the 

 wagon, and drive away before we could reach him. 



In the morning, on our way to the woods, we passed 

 through some meadows all abloom with red clover, and 

 a score of bobolinks were singing all about us, some on 

 the wing, some on the fences, and some from their 

 perches on the twigs of bushes and trees ; they were 

 changing places and breaking in upon one another's 



