Orchard Oriole 95 



one of the fluffy, yellowish fledglings has fluttered down into 

 your yard and you have rescued it from some voracious cat; 

 Baltimore has then given expression to his gratitude by a 

 series of long, mellow, whistling notes, and you have given 

 one more evidence that his confidence in man has not been 

 betrayed. 



Five or six much elongated eggs are laid; ground bluish, 

 etched and speckled with umber. 



Orchard Oriole. — Icterus spurius. 7.32 



Not Uncommon Summer Resident 



Field marks. — Entire head, throat, and upper back, black; 

 breast, belly, lower back, and lesser wing-coverts, bright 

 reddish-chestnut; wings dark brown. Female, much 

 duller. 



This bird seems to be a somewhat irregular resident; I 

 had been about here for five years before encountering one, 

 and this was on May 19, 1907. During the same Spring 

 several were observed in Washington Park. I am told by 

 others that some years spurius is apparently not present in this 

 section. The notes of the Orchard are similar to those of 

 the Baltimore, yet with such a difference in tone as at once to 

 distinguish them to the keen listener. Because of this fact 

 I always hear the Orchard before seeing it. 



The nest is a shallow basket, woven of fine grasses, and 

 swung among the branches of a tree, generally in an orchard; 

 eggs, four or five, similar to galbula. 



