470 LIFE HISTORIES OF NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



foliage found on the margins of ponds or in the old bed of the river. They did 

 not cominiinicate with each other by any note, and Mr. Clark was struck by 

 their remarkable silence. Their habits seemed to him very different from those 

 of any other Oriole with which he was acquainted.' 



Like most Orioles, this bird undoubtedly feeds to a great extent on various 

 insects, caterpillars, etc., and probably only occasionally on berries. 



The first fully authenticated nests and eggs of this species were described 

 by Mr. George B. Sennett, from specimens taken by him near Lomita, Texas, 

 in May, 1878; and since then the United States National Museum has received 

 a fine series of their eggs from Dr. William L. Ralph, all taken in the vicinity 

 of Fort Brown, Texas. The nest of this Oriole is usually placed in mesquite 

 trees, in thickets and open woods, from 6 to 14 feet from the ground. It is a 

 semipensile structure, Avoveu of fine, wire-like grass used while still green, and 

 resembles those of the Hooded and Orchard Orioles, which are much better 

 known. The nest is firmly attached both on the top and sides, to small branches 

 and growing twigs, and, for the size of the bird, it appears rather small. One, 

 now before me measures 3 inches in depth inside by about the same in inner 

 diameter. The rim of the nest is somewhat contracted to prevent the eggs from 

 being thrown out during high winds. The inner lining consists of somewhat 

 finer grass tops, which still retain considerable strength, and are even now, when 

 perfectly dry, difficult to break. Only a single nest of those found was placed 

 in a bunch of Spanish moss, and this was suspended within reach of the ground; 

 the others were all attached to small twigs. 



Audubon's Oriole seems to be greatly imposed iipon by the Red-eyed Cow- 

 bird; half of the sets in the collection contain from one to three of these 

 parasitic eggs; but none of the equally common Dwarf Cowbird have, as far as 

 I am aware, yet been found in them. 



Nidification begins sometimes early in April, b^^t usually about the last week 

 in this month. Fresh eggs have been taken on April 23 and as late as June 8. 

 Attempts are probably frequently made to rear two broods in a season, but 

 many of them are unquestionably destroyed each year by the Red-eyed Cowbird, 

 as well as through other causes. 



The nundjer of eggs to a set varies from three to five. Sets of one or two 

 eggs of this Oriole, with tAVO or three Cowbirds' eggs, seem to be most frequently 

 found, some of the first-named eggs being thrown out to make room. The eggs 

 differ somewhat in the character of their markings from those of the remainder 

 of our Orioles; they are ovate and elongate ovate in shape, and the shell is rather 

 frail and lusterless. The ground color is either pale bluish or grayish white, and 

 occasionally the egg is only slightly flecked with fine markings and a few hair 

 lines of different shades of brown and dark pui-]3le, these being nearly evenly 

 distributed over the surface. In others the ground color is partly obscured with 

 a pale ^^urple suftusion, and more profuseh' blotched and streaked with difterent 

 shades of claret brown, purple, ferruginous, and lavender, resembling somewhat 



' History of North American Birds, 1874, Vol. II, p. 187. 



