BIRDS OF NEW YORK 239 



with blackish; under parts dingy orange. The female has more blackish 

 about the head, especially on the throat which shows more or less blackish, 

 wanting in the young birds of the season. 



Length o 71 7-8.2 inches, 9 7-7.6; extent n. 75-12. 3; wing 3.6; tail 

 2.85; bill .7; tarsus .85. 



Distribution. The Baltimore oriole inhabits eastern North America 

 from Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario and Nova Scotia to northern Texas, 

 Louisiana and northern Georgia; and winters from southern Mexico to 

 northwestern South America. It is a common summer resident of all 

 New York State with the exception of the wooded portions of the Catskills 

 and Adirondacks, but enters the river valleys and cleared lands of the 

 Adirondacks as far as Keene valley, Ausable chasm, Old Forge and similar 

 locations. It is commonest in those portions of the State which lie in 

 the Carolinian and warmer portions of the Alleghanian zone, inhabiting 

 the orchards, shade trees and open groves. It evidently has increased 

 considerably since the greater portion of the State was cleared and settled, 

 and is as common in the streets and yards of our villages and cities as 

 it is in the country districts. In several villages which I have examined, 

 it is easy to make a census of the number of orioles which evidently 

 inhabited the region during the preceding summer. Usually about three 

 nests will be found on each oriole tree, showing three years of habitation, 

 sometimes as many as five in different stages of dilapidation, but the 

 nest of the preceding season is almost always in fairly good condition. 

 By inspecting these trees it will be evident to nearly any bird student 

 that from 3 to 5 pairs of orioles must inhabit each large block of our cities 

 and villages, where shade trees are abundant. Some seasons, however, 

 the orioles seem much less common than in others when late snow storms 

 in May kill large numbers or prevent them from migrating to their old 

 haunts. The beautiful appearance and melodious notes of the Baltimore 

 oriole are justly famous and have been praised by many poets, and every 

 amateur bird student is enthusiastic over this bird which can always be 

 found and heard during the " birding " season. Next to the Scarlet tanager 

 he is probably our most gorgeously colored bird, and his song ranks at 



