2 Scott on tke Breeding Habits of Scott's Oriole. [Jannar> 



From the time of its arrival until July 29 I heard the song 

 daily, even hourly, and during the height of the breeding season 

 often many were singing within hearing at the same time. 



This has been called k a desert species,' and most Arizona birds 

 might fall under the same grouping, at times, I suppose, but my 

 experience with it is so very directly to the contrary that a word 

 as to the surroundings of the home of this Oriole, as found by 

 me. will perhaps give a better idea to the reader. 



There is a canon that begins high up in the Santa Catalinas, 

 and. dividing the hills and table lands on either side of it by its 

 deep furrow, it extends for two miles or more, where it joins the 

 valley of the San Pedro River. It is the upper or more elevated 

 part of this canon with which we have to do, at an altitude vary- 

 ing from four thousand to five thousand feet. The hills on either 

 side are high, the canon generally quite narrow. Live oaks are 

 the trees of the hills and hillsides, and reach in places to the bed 

 of the canon. Here in parts are groves of cottonwoods and 

 scycamores, and some cedars, and. with the exception of the very 

 bed of the canon, where for a part of the year is a brook, the 

 grass covers the surface of the ground. The brook begins to 

 dry up in its exposed parts early in May, but all summer long 

 there is running water for at least a mile in the cottonwood 

 grove, and in a number of places, even during the driest part of 

 the year, the water rises to the surface, making -tanks.' as thev 

 are called. Along this running water and about the -tanks,' bird 

 life is very abundant, and here, surely no desert, is the summer 

 home of many Scott's Orioles. There is very little cactus, and 

 none of the 'chollas' that are so very characteristic of the deserts 

 of the neighboring region. 



After August 7 I missed the song, although the birds were 

 abundant until the 10th of that month, and I saw a single bird 

 or so for the following three days. Then I supposed they were 

 all gone, but on the 14th of September, about dusk. I started one. 

 an adult male, from a vucca where he had evidently gone to 

 roost. He scolded angrily at me from the dead limb of a cedar 

 near by for a few moments, when I left him to go to bed. Again, 

 on the iSth of September, I heard a male in full song, and going 

 closer found a party of four together, three old males and a 

 young one of the \ ear. This is my last note of their occurrence 

 at this point. 



