WILD LIFE OF ORCHARD AND FIELD 



appropriated. He managed it so that the bird 

 used nearly equal quantities of various high, 

 bright colors. The nest was made unusually deep 

 and capacious, and it may be questioned if such a 

 thing of beauty was ever before woven by the cun- 

 ning of a bird.'' 



A few experiments have been made to learn 

 whether this bird would exercise any preference as 

 to color in selecting materials of this kind. They 

 have not yielded very satisfactory results, and 

 should be repeated. This is easily done by any 

 one who observes an oriole beginning its structure, 

 and will lay varicolored wools, separately, in view 

 of the bird and note whether any color is preferred. 

 An accumulation of such observations might de- 

 termine something as to color sense. 



The nest being done, the female begins to de- 

 posit her eggs, and continues laying one each day 

 until four or five are laid. The eggs are pointed 

 oval, .90 by .60 of an inch in dimensions, gray- 

 ish white, with a roseate tinge in fresh and trans- 

 parent specimens, and variously marked with 

 blotches and irregular lines, like j^en-scratches, of 

 purplish brown. On the day following, incuba- 

 tion begins, and the eggs hatch at the end of about 

 fifteen days, usually in the middle of June. 



261 



