166 ORCHARD ORIOLE. 



is not so well known. The female is especially easy to 

 overlook, her suit of plain olive-green closely harnioniz- 

 Orchard Oriole, ^^S with the leaves in color. Young 

 Icterus spurius. uialcs at first cxactly resemble her, but 

 Plate XXXVI. ^^ following spring return, wearing 

 their fatlier's black cravat. In this jDlumage they might 

 readily be taken for another species, so little do they re- 

 semble their parents in appearance. The adult chestnut 

 and black plumage is not fully acquired until the sec- 

 ond, or perhaps even the third spring. 



The Orchard Oriole winters in Central America, and 

 in the summer is found throughout the eastern United 

 States from the Gulf of Mexico to Massachusetts. It 

 arrives from the South about May 1, and is one of the 

 first birds to leave in the fall, rarely being seen after 

 September 1. Xesting is begun late in May. The nest 

 is pensile, but not so deep as that of the Baltimore Oriole, 

 having more the proportions of a Vireo's nest. It is 

 composed entirely of freshly dried greenish grasses, and 

 is susi)ended from near the extremity of a branch at a 

 height of fifteen to twenty feet. The three to five eggs 

 are bluish white, spotted, blotched, and scrawled with 

 black. 



The song of the Orchard Oriole reseml)les that of his 

 orange-and-black cousin, but is far richer in tone and 

 more finished in character. 



The male Kedwing, with his l)lack uniform and scar- 

 let epaulets, is a familiar inhabitant of our marshes, but 

 Bed-winged many who know him are not acquainted 



Blackbird, with his very difl^erently attired mate. 

 Ageiaiusphmne.u,. gj^g ^^^^.g ^ costume which above is 



black streaked with buff and rust-color, and below is 

 striped dingy black and white, and is much more retiring 

 than her conspicuous husband. Her place is low in the 

 l)ushes or among the reeds near the nest with its pale 



