216 THE STORY OF A BIRD LOVER 



were frequented by myriads of humming-birds. 

 The yucca, or soap-weed, was also common, and 

 afforded a nesting place for a kind of bird known 

 as Scott's oriole. This is a bright, lemon- 

 colored oriole with a black head, much like his 

 cousin the Baltimore of the East, but larger. 

 This bird's method of nest-building I have dis- 

 cussed in a paper, but will briefly summarize 

 it here. 



Most of my readers are aware that the yucca is 

 a plant with a cluster of long, broad, dagger-like 

 leaves, terminating in a fine, sharp point, whence 

 it receives the name of Spanish bayonet. The 

 older leaves at the lower whorls are constantly 

 falling away, and frequently this plant attains 

 considerable height, sometimes ten or twelve 

 feet, with a bare, palmlike stem supporting 

 the head of broad leaves at the top. The lower 

 leaves as they die become pendent, drooping 

 close and parallel to the trunk. Among such 

 leaves, at their first period of decay, Scott's oriole 

 builds its nest. This is done by picking the 

 chlorophyl away, leaving the stringlike skele- 

 ton, from which the characteristic hammocklike 

 structure of the oriole is woven. When complete, 

 this nest is similar to that of the orchard oriole of 

 the East, but is wholly concealed by the droop- 

 ing leaves, being situated between them and the 

 trunk of the yucca. Moreover, it is well protected 



