440 THE BALTIMORE ORIOLE. 



One of these birds tluit was kept iu a cage by Wilson proved to be a very interesting 

 creature, chanting its wild clear notes at an early age, and accommodating itself to its 

 captivity with perfect ease. It had a curious love for artificial light, fluttering about its 

 cage, and becoming uneasy at the sight of a lighted candle, and not being satisfied when 

 its cage was placed close to the object of attraction. In that case, it would sit close to the 

 side of the cage, dress its plumage, and occasionally break into snatches of song. 



The adult male is nearly black upon its head, neck, back, wings, and tail, a browni.^h 

 tint being perceptible iu the wings. The lower part of the breast, the abdomen, tail- 

 coverts, and some of the wing-coverts, are light reddish brown, and the greater wing- 

 coverts are tipped with white. The adult female is yellowish olive above, with a brown 

 tinge on the back, and a brown wash over the wings. The whole of the lower parts are 

 yellow, the primary feathers of the wings are slightly edged with yellowish white, and 

 the same colour is found on the edges of the secondaries and greater coverts, and on the 

 tips of the lesser coverts. The length of the bird is between six and seven inches. The 

 young male is like the female during his first j'ear, but in his second year sundry feathers 

 of black make their appearance in variorxs parts of the body, and in the third year they 

 spread over the upper surface and breast, as has already been mentioned. 



The Baltimore Oriole is an inhabitant of the whole of Northern America, its range 

 extending from Canada to Mexico — even as far south as Brazil. 



It is a migratory bird, arriving about the beginning of IMay, and departing towards the 

 end of August or the beginning of September. The name of Baltimore Oriole has been 

 given to it because its colours of black and orange are those of the arms belonging to Lord 

 Baltimore, to whom Maryland formerly belonged. This species is remarkably familiar and 

 fearless of man, hanging its beautifiU. pensile nest upon the garden-trees, and even 

 venturing into the streets wherever a green tree flourishes, and chanting its wild mellow 

 notes in close proximity to the sounds and sights of a populous city. 



The nest of the Baltimore Oriole is somewhat similar to that oi' the preceding species, 

 although it is generally of a thicker and tougher substance, and more ingeniously woven. 

 The materials of which this beautiful habitation is made are flax, various kinds of 

 vegetable fibres, wool, and hair, matted together, so as to resemble felt in consistency. 

 A number of long horsehairs are passed completely through the fibres, sewing it firmly 

 together with large and irregular, Init strong and judiciously placed stitching. In one of 

 these nests "Wilson found that several of the hairs used for this purpose measured two feet 

 in length. The nest is in the form of a long purse, and at the bottom is arranged a heap 

 of soft cows' hair and similar substances, in which the eggs find a warm resting-place. 

 The female bird seems to be the chief architect, receiving a constant supply of materials 

 from her mate, and occasionally rejecting the fibres or hairs which he may bring, and 

 sending him off for another load better to her taste. 



Since the advent of civilization, the Baltimore Oriole has availed himself largely of his 

 advantages, and instead of troubling himself with a painful search after individual hairs, 

 where'nith to sew his hammock together, keeps a look-out for any bits of stray thread 

 that may be thrown away by human sempstresses, and makes use of them iu the place of 

 the hairs. So sharpsighted is the bird, and so quick are his movements, that during the 

 bleaching season the owners of the thread are forced to keep a constant watch upon their 

 property as it lies upon the grass, or hangs upon the boughs, knowing that the Oriole is 

 ever ready to pounce ujion such valuable material, and straightway to weave it into his 

 nest. Pieces of loose string, skeins of silk, or even the bands with which young grafts 

 are tied, are equally sought by this ingenious bird, and often purloined to the discomfiture 

 of the needlewoman or the gardener. The average size of the nest is six or seven inches 

 in depth, and three or four in diameter. Wilson thinks that the bird improves in nest- 

 building by practice, and that the best specimens of architecture are the work of the 

 oldest birds. 



The eggs are five in number, and their general colour is whitish pink, dotted at the 

 larger end with purplish spots, and covered at the smaller end witli a great number of fine 

 intersecting lines of the same hue. The food of the Baltimore Oriole seems to be almost 



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