ORIOLES 349 



two fields. Both birds assist in building the nest, using such 

 materials as dead grass, sedges and fine weed stems which are 

 woven together. The nest is generally arched or roofed over 

 and often approached by an arched passage or tunnel through 

 the grass. A nest before me is five inches in height outside 

 by three and a half in depth inside, the external diameter six 

 and the internal diameter three inches. The five eggs measure 

 1.06x0.80,1.05x0.80, 1.02x0.80,1.05x0.79, 1.02x0.78. 



The eggs are white or rarely slightly greenish white, 

 blotched and spotted all over but usually heaviest at the larger 

 end with brown, umber, purple and lavender. The markings 

 are often very heavy or confluent at the larger end. Three 

 to eight, more usually five eggs are laid, one each day, and 

 incubation requires fifteen to seventeen days according to the 

 weather. The male bird does his share of the work, and occa- 

 sionally, very rarely indeed, will sing while on the nest. 



The young are able to leave the nest and run through the 

 grass in ten or twelve days, in fact long before they are able 

 to fly. Later in the season the birds gather in small flocks or 

 family groups, arising with a few chirps of alarm and flying 

 away with alternate flappings of the wings and sailings, to 

 alight on some fence or in another field. Their food is largely 

 the various kinds of insects to be found about their homes, 

 also some seed of weeds, grasses and grains. They are dis- 

 tinctly beneficial and it is a pity there are not more of them 

 in Maine. 



Genus ICTERUS Brisson. 



Subgenus PENDULINUS Vieillot. 



506. Icterus spurius (Linn.). Orchard Oriole. 



Plumage of adult male : whole of head, throat, neck and upper back black ; 

 wings and tail fuscous, edged with whitish ; lesser coverts, lower back, 

 breast and belly chestnut. Plumage of immature male first year : sides of 

 head and above grayish olive green ; wings brown, edged with buff on the 

 median coverts, forming two indistinct bands, the primaries and secondaries 



