SPECIES 2. ORIOL US MUTA TU* 

 ORCHARD ORIOLE. 



[Plate IV.] 



Bastard Baltimore, CATESBY, i, 49. Le Baltimore batard, BUF- 

 FON, m, 233. PI. enl. 506, Oriolus spurius, GMEL. Syst. i,p. 

 389. LATH. Syn. n, p. 433, 20, p. 437, 24. BARTRAM, p. 290. 

 PEALE'S Museum, No. 1508. 



THERE are no circumstances, relating to birds, which tend 

 so much to render their history obscure and perplexing, as the 

 various changes of colour which many of them undergo. These 

 changes are in some cases periodical, in others progressive; and 

 are frequently so extraordinary, that, unless the naturalist has 

 resided for years in the country where the birds inhabit, and 

 has examined them at almost every season, he is extremely lia- 

 ble to be mistaken and imposed on by their novel appearance. 

 Numerous instances of this kind might be cited, from the pages 

 of European writers, in which the same bird has been described 

 two, three, and even four different times, by the same person; 

 and each time as a different kind. The species we are now about 

 to examine is a remarkable example of this; and as it has never 

 to my knowledge been either accurately figured or described, I 

 have devoted one plate to the elucidation of its history. 



The Count de Buffon, in introducing what he supposed to be 

 the male of this bird, but which appears evidently to have been 

 the female of the Baltimore Oriole, makes the following obser- 



* 0. Spwius Liiftf. which name must be adopted. Icterus minor spurius, 

 Bmss. u, 111, pi 10, fig. 3. Carouge de Cayenne, Burr. PL Enl. 607, fig. 1, 

 (adult male.) Carouge du Cap de bonne. Esptrance, BUFF. PI. Enl. 607, fig. 2, 

 (female.) Merle ti gorge noire de Sf. Domingue, BUFF. Pi. Enl. 559, (young 

 male. ) 



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