BLACKBIRDS, ORIOLES, ETC. 267 



Similar to the ad. 9 , but with the back browner. Im. $ , second year. Simi- 

 lar to the ad. ? , but with the throat black and occasionally patches of chest- 

 nut on the under parts. L., 7'32; 

 W., 3-18 ; T., 2-92 ; B., -65. 



Range. Eastern North Amer- 

 ica; breeds from the Gulf States 

 to Massachusetts and Ontario, 

 and winters in Central America. 



Washington, common S. R., 

 Apl. 28 to Sept. Sing Sing, com- 

 mon S. R.. May 2 to Aug. C. Cam- 

 bridge, S. R., sometimes rather 

 common, May 15 to July. 



Nest, pensile, of grasses inter- 

 woven, near the extremity of a 

 limb, ten to fifteen feet up. Eggs, FlG - ^' 

 three to five, bluish white, dis- 

 tinctly and obscurely spotted, blotched, and scrawled with fuscous or black, 

 79 x -58. 



Although the Orchard Oriole generally frequents apple orchards, 

 he is entirely at home among the shade trees of our lawns. 



There is an air of refinement about this bird which seems to per- 

 vade his whole life history. He dresses quietly but with excellent 

 taste, his nest is of the choicest materials, while his song suggests the 

 finished effort of a perfectly trained performer. His voice is indeed 

 unusually rich and flexible, and he uses it with rare skill and expres- 

 sion. Words can not describe his song, but no lover of bird-music 

 will be long in the vicinity of a singing Orchard Oriole without learn- 

 ing the distinguished songster's name. 



507. Icterus galbula (Linn.). BALTIMORE ORIOLE; FIREBIRD; 

 GOLDEN ROBIN ; HANG-NEST. Ad. <J .Head, neck, throat, and upper back 

 black ; breast, belly, lower back, and lesser wing-coverts deep, rich, reddish 

 orange ; wings black, the outer margin of the greater coverts and quills edged 

 with white ; end half of middle tail-feathers black, base orange ; all the others 

 orange, crossed by a black band in the middle. Ad. 9 . Upper parts brown- 

 ish or grayish orange, brighter on the rump ; head and back mottled with 

 black; wings fuscous, greater and middle coverts tipped with white; tail 

 like the rump, the middle feathers stained with black; under parts dull 

 orange, throat sometimes spotted with black. L., 7'53 ; W., 3-52 ; T., 2*84 ; 

 B., -70. 



Range. Eastern North America; breeds from the Gulf States to New 

 Brunswick ; winters in Central America. 



Washington, rather common S. R., Apl. 28 to Sept. Sing Sing, common 

 S. R., May 2 to Sept. 1. Cambridge, very common S. R., May 8 through Aug. 



Nest, pensile, of grasses, bark, plant fibers, hair, strings, etc., firmly inter- 

 woven, in fruit or shade trees, near the extremity of a l!mb twenty to forty 



