NATURE AND HER HARMONIES. 17 



for him, has certainly some very mysterious ways. Mr. Au- 

 dubon plainly intimates, that in common with all spirited 

 young "bloods," he is frequently "disguised," and that it re- 

 quires several years for him to take upon himself the " sober, 

 outward seeming" of his tribe or profession. 



The whole extent of the curious and interesting charge 

 the Naturalist brings against him, may be gathered from the 

 passage we give below ; premising that he speaks of him as 

 the "Orchard," while we know him as the "Parson Oriole." 



" The plumage of many species of our birds undergoes at 

 times very extraordinary changes. Some, such as the male 

 Tanagers, which during the summer months exhibit the most 

 vivid scarlet and velvety black, assume a dingy green before 

 they leave the country, on their way southward. The Gold- 

 finch nearly changes to the same color, after having been seen 

 in the gay apparel of yellow and black. The Eice Bird 

 loses, its lively brightness until the return of spring. Others 

 take several years before they complete their plumage, so as 

 to show the true place which they hold among the other 

 species, as is the case with the Ibis, the Flamingo, and 

 many other Waders, as well as with several of our land birds, 

 among which, kind reader, the species now under your con- 

 sideration is probably that in which these gradual improve- 

 ments are most observable by such persons as reside in the 

 country inhabited by them. 



" The plumage of the young birds of this species, when 

 they leave the nest, resembles that of the female parent, al- 

 though rather less decided in point of coloring, and both 

 males and females retain this color until the approach of the 

 following spring, when the former exhibit a portion of black 

 on the chin, the females never altering. In birds kept in 

 cages, this portion of black remains without farther augmen- 

 tation for two years ; but in those which are at liberty, a cu- 

 rious mixture of dull orange or deep chesnut peeps out 

 through a considerable increase of black-colored feathers 

 over the body and wings, intermixed with the yellowish- 



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