34 2 Trees, Stars, and Birds 



benefit the farmer by eating weed seeds and large num- 

 bers of noxious insects. 



When nature had made all her birds, 



With no more cares to think on, 

 She gave a rippling laugh, and out 



There flew a Bobolinkon. 



CHRISTOPHER PEARSE CRANCH 



The Baltimore oriole. A number of beautiful birds 

 arrive in the Middle and Northern states and southern 

 Canada in the latter part of April or in May. The most 

 common of these is the Baltimore oriole. It is larger 

 than a sparrow, but considerably smaller than a robin. 

 The under parts and the lower back of the male are 

 reddish orange; the head, neck, and forward part of 

 the back are black. The wings are orange, white, and 

 black. The female is dull orange below, dusky and 

 yellowish olive above. In winter these birds live in 

 tropical America, where there are some forty species 

 of orioles, but none that are more beautiful than the 

 Baltimore oriole. 



You have seen the purselike nest of the oriole hanging 

 from one of the outer limbs of a tree. Does the male 

 or female bird weave it? Is the female less exposed 

 to view when in the nest than other birds when sitting ? 

 Is she as plain colored as the females of most birds? 

 Did you ever see an oriole on the ground? Do any of 

 the blackbird family get food from the ground? Does 

 the oriole resemble a blackbird in shape ? 



The food of the Baltimore oriole consists mainly of 

 injurious insects, including scale insects, plant lice, wee- 

 vils, click beetles, May beetles, and numerous cater- 



