THE LAKE OF PITCH. 



33 



long whitish beaks and an infinitely varied vocabulary. In 

 the north our eyes are gladdened by the sight of a single pair 

 of Orioles flying about their nest in the elm; here in a single tree 

 there were sometimes over one hundred and fifty inhabited 

 nests, most of which were two feet or more in length. The 

 more we watched these birds the more interesting they 



FIG. 15. COLONY OF 150 CASSIQUES' NESTS IN ONE TREE. 



became. They showed a real intelligence in the selection of 

 a site for their nests. Monkeys, tree-snakes, opossums, and 

 other bird-eating creatures were abundant hereabouts, and 

 for a colony of these conspicuous birds to conceal their nests 

 successfully would be impossible. So their homes are swung 

 out in full view of all. But one or two precautions are always 

 taken. Either the birds choose a solitary tree which fairly 

 overhangs some thatched hut, or else the colony is clustered 



