to which the chorister of the park, from the summit of a 

 maple, would respond, in the same key, 



and, for the life of me, I never was able to tell whether 

 their songs were those of rivalry or of greeting and friend- 

 ly intercourse. And now if you will strike these notes on 

 the piano, or, which is better, breathe them from the flute, 

 you will know the song of the oriole, or rather obtain an 

 idea of its general characteristics, for no two that I have 

 ever heard sung the same melody." 



The female also has a pretty song, which mingles with 

 the brilliant tenor of the male during all the season of love- 

 making ; but as May merges into June, and the business of 

 the summer begins, both cease their exalted strains, and only 

 the mellow, ringing whistle is heard ; then, as family cares 

 increase, they lay aside even this, and, except at dawn, are 

 rarely heard at all. 



But, after all, the chief interest about our oriole is its 

 wonderful home, which hangs upon the outmost branches 



