Conspicuously Yellow and Orange 



The Germans call this little bird roth Stert (red tail), but, like 

 so many popular names, this is a misnomer, as, strictly speaking, 

 the redstart is never red, though its salmon-orange markings 

 often border on to orange-flame. 



In a fork of some tall bush or tree, placed ten or fifteen feet 

 from the ground, a carefully constructed little nest is made of 

 moss, horsehair, and strippings from the bark, against which 

 the nest is built, the better to conceal its location. Four or five 

 whitish eggs, thickly sprinkled with pale brown and lilac, like the 

 other warblers', are too jealously guarded by the little mother-bird 

 to be very often seen. 



Baltimore Oriole 



(Icterus galbula) Oriole and Blackbird family 



Called also: GOLDEN ORIOLE; FIREBIRD; GOLDEN ROBIN; 

 HANG-NEST; ENGLISH ROBIN 



Length — 7 to 8 inches. About one-fifth smaller than the robin. 



Male — Head, throat, upper part of back glossy black. Wings 

 black, with white spots and edgings. Tail-quills black, with 

 yellow markings on the tips. Everywhere else orange, 

 shading into flame. 



Female — Yellowish olive. Wings dark brown, and quills mar- 

 gined with white. Tail yellowish brown, with obscure, 

 dusky bars. 



Range — The whole United States. Most numerous in Eastern 

 States below 55° north latitude. 



Migrations — Early May. Middle of September. Common sum- 

 mer resident. 



A flash of fire through the air; a rich, high, whistled song 

 floating in the wake of the feathered meteor: the Baltimore oriole 

 cannot be mistaken. When the orchards are in blossom he 

 arrives in full plumage and song, and awaits the coming of the 

 female birds, that travel northward more leisurely in flocks. He 

 is decidedly in evidence. No foliage is dense enough to hide his 

 brilliancy; his temper, quite as fiery as his feathers, leads him 

 into noisy quarrels, and his insistent song with its martial, inter- 

 rogative notes becomes almost tiresome until he is happily mated 

 and family cares check his enthusiasm. 



211 



