184 IN THE MIDDLE COUNTRY. 



in a neighbor's yard. The moment I entered 

 the grounds I noticed a great outcry. It was 

 loud ; it was incessant ; and it was of many 

 voices. Following the sound, I started across 

 the unmown field, 



" Through the bending grasses, 



Tall and lushy green, 

 All alive with tiny things, 

 Stirring feet and whin-ing wings 



Just an instant seen," 



and soon came in sight of the nest near the top- 

 most twig of an old apple-tree. 



It was about noon of a bright, sunny day, and 

 I could see only that the nest was straw-color, 

 apparently run over with little ones, and both 

 the parents were industriously feeding. The 

 cries suggested the persistence of young orioles, 

 but it was not a Baltimore's swinging cradle, 

 and the old birds were so shy, coming from be- 

 hind the leaves, every one of which turned 

 itself into a reflector for the sunlight, that I 

 could not identify them. 



Later in the day I paid them another visit, 

 and finding a better post of observation under 

 the shade of a sweet-briar bush, I saw at once 

 they were orchard orioles, and that the young 

 ones were climbing to the edge of the nest ; I 

 had nearly been too late ! 



Four o'clock was the unearthly hour at which 



