187G.] 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



21 



FACTS OF NATURAL HISTORY. No. 8. 



Baltimore Oriole.— (Icterus baltimore.) 

 "HOMES WITHOUT HANDS." 



This l)ird, tlu' iicst of \vlii(-h will be recog- 

 nizi'd ill our illii.stnitioii, is in simic localitiL's, 

 pcrliups, bt^ttor known under the nanii's of 

 "Golden Uobiii," "Llangiiif; liiid," or "IIjuii;- 

 nest," than under the one above. Hy what- 

 ever name it may be calleil, it doe.s not in the 

 lea,st detract from its skill, nor diminish its 

 lisefuliiess ; for, in the Ionic eataloi;ue of Ameri- 

 can birds, it is (luestionable if a more active, 

 industrious, and persevering "Inseetor" is to 

 be found. 



" Where :\p|)U's, plums ami peaches bloom, 



Anil wliere they hlDoiii profusely, 



Brave Ictcnix will he tOuuil," 



and every time he captures an insect he will 

 utter a short joyful chirp, which becomes so 

 familiar to the ear that his presence is recog- 

 nized and bis success indicated, even when be 

 hini.self may bo invisible. Later in tlie season 

 he manifests some partiality for ripe cherri(w, 

 but under any circumstance he does not appro- 

 priate any more than what would be accorded 

 as legitimate fees, toll, or perquisites, to any 

 other being, for his benevolent labors during 

 the blooming season ; and yet, we have seen 

 this bird mercilessly shot down whi-n he was 

 extracting his " toll, " and every shot bringing 

 down as many cherries as the bird would con- 

 sume in a week ; in which there is neither 

 economy nor charity. 



AVe have a nest of tliis bird now before us, 

 which was found suspended from the branch 

 of a willow-tree, a few days ago, in the south- 

 western part of this city, and kindly donated 

 to the Liniwan Socictij by Mr. A. N, Brene- 

 inan, jr. It is very compactly woven out of 

 pieces of twine, linen and cotton threads, in- 

 tertwined with a few horseh.iirs and narrow 

 strips of calico, all being of the color of un- 

 bleached linen. It bears almost an exact like- 

 ness — or rather, our picture is an exact like- 

 ness of the nest liefore us — iiear-shaped, and 

 from the narrowed upper point where it is at- 

 tached to the small willow twigs, to the bot- 

 tom, outside, it is seven inches in length ; the 

 inside depth, from the bottom to where the 

 bml's beak is seen, is four inclies ; and its 

 outside circumference at the largest part is 

 nearly twelve inches. ISuch a nest is not the 

 work of a single day, or even a week, and it is 

 a great marvel how a creature without hands 

 could possibly put together a habitation so 

 •strongly and symmetrically, out of such mate- 

 rial; and we regret that the birds will be under 

 the necessity of building a new one next spring. 

 Mr. B. had often noticed this nest when pass- 

 ing the willow-tree on which it was suspend- 

 ed ; but when the leaves fell it became a tar- 

 get for the naughty boys of the neighborhood, 

 and one day he found it lying upon the ground. 



The bird which is the architect of this nest 

 belongs to all of North America east of the 

 high central yilains, and is seven inches and 

 a-lialf long ; the wings three inches and three- 

 quarters ; "the color is black, withtlie rump, 

 upper tail-coverts, le.sser wing-coverts, the ter- 

 minal portion of all but two tail feathers, and 

 the breast and under parts, orange red ; the 

 edges of the quills and a band across the tip.s 

 of the greater coverts, white. The colors of 

 the female are much duller, the black of the 

 head and back being rei)laced by brownish 

 yellow." We have a specimen in our posses- 

 sion, stufled and momited by us forty-oui; years 

 ago, and it retains to this day almost tlie fresh- 

 ness and brilliancy of color it had when tirst 

 prepared. It belongs to the great OitDHii of 

 iNSEssoiiES or " Percliers," and is the typical 

 genus of the family Icteuid.i;, or " Blackbird 

 family." (Jeiu'rically allied to it an; the "Or- 

 chard Oriole," (Irtcrii/! xiiHi-iiix) the "Hooded 

 Oriole," (ick'rii.-i eucuhitita) of the lower Rio 

 .Grande; "Audubon's Oriole," {Trtcrua nmht- 

 honii) alsoof theUioGrande ; "Scott's Oriole," 

 (Icteriix p(trUorum) of Texas; " Wagler's 

 Oriole," (L-trrus W(ifileni) of Mexico, and 

 "Bullock's Oriole," (Irtcriuf Jhdh,rh-!i) of ■Wes- 

 tern Xorth^Vmerica. The "Troupial,"(ic(cri(S 



VHhj(trw<) belongs to South America an<l the 

 West Indies, and .sometimes, by a;rare acci- 

 dent, comes within the territory of the United 

 •States a large s|)ecies. 



The<)rioles lay from four to sixjeggs, ufa 

 bluish-while color, sprinkled with dilfercnt 

 shades of dark lirown, and in our latitude they 

 are one-broodeil. From the activity and per- 

 severing industry of these birds in the early 

 part of t,lie season — especially our local species 

 — tliey cannot but exert a benelicial inlhience 

 upon vegetation, and more particularly on our 

 fruit crops. Nor are they a shy bird where 

 they are immole.sted. W(! have had them visit 

 our plum, peacli and cherry trees not more 

 than ten or lifteen feel from our kitchen door, 

 and remain on them for an hour at a time, 

 coming an<l going during the whole of the 

 sl)ring or summer day. Our species are birds 

 of passage, arriving in Pennsylvania from the 

 South about the begimiing of May, and de- 

 jiarting again about the end of August. It 

 jirefers willow, apple, walnut and tulip trees, 

 in [iroximity to farm houses, for its nesting 

 places. The "Baltimore Oriole" takes its 

 specilic name from Lord'Baltimon'; its colors, 

 whidi are black and orange red, being] the 

 colors of tlie livery of that nobleman, formerly 

 the |)roprietary of Maryland. The males do 

 not ac(piire their plumage in i)erl'ccliiin inilil 



a careles.s ploughboy ^whistling for his own 



anmsemi^nt." 



" Iliirli on yon jwiplnr, ehul In fflosey Bhppii, 

 Ttii' iiraiiife lilnek-<iip|>c<l Ballliriore l« seen ; 

 The l)m:ii| exU'mli-iI l)OU'_'h»sllll pleune him liest : 

 Ueneulh Iheir ln'nillni; skirtH lie hiin^a hl« ni'Ot.'' 



they are two or three years old — the first sea- 

 son they differ very little from the females, 

 and hence sometimes they become confuseil. 

 Although nearly all the species construct pen- 

 sile nests, yet none of them exhibit the me- 

 chanical skill of the Baltimore specie.s. 



Their principal food consists of caterpillars, 

 beetles, bugs and worm.s, especially beetles. 



What the Baltimoie Oriole employed to 

 build its nest before civilization was introduc- 

 ed into tliis country is not very api)arent — 

 perhaps lil)rous roots and mos.ses — but now it 

 prefers twine, thn^ads and shreds of woven 

 fabric. They are very naughty, and some- 

 times skeins of silk or cotton carelessly expos- 

 ed, linen or cotton yarn left out to bleach or 

 dry, or strings of almost any kind are carried 

 away, and they are. oltcn noticed iiersevering- 

 ly tugging away at strings IIimI around objects, 

 tlie ends of which are hanging loose. 



The .song of this binl is a pe<'uliarly clear 

 mellow whistle, repeated at short intervals, 

 as hi^ is busily engaged gleaning among tlie 

 Ijjanches, and we never hear it without its re- 

 calling 



" Tlio Ii!,'ht of other days." 



According to a distingui.shed author, "a cer- 

 tain wild ])laintiveness and tutiirlc is in it, 

 that is extremely interesting ; something Uke 



MENTALCULTURE AMONG FARMERS. 



It is obvious to every observing mind that 

 a new era is dawning upon farming life— an 

 era of intellectual (culture and improvement. 

 Heretofore, soil culture, lias engrossed most of 

 the attention of the. farmer. So that paying 

 crops were raised, he cared for but little else. 

 He was willing to doa.s others suggested about 

 electing men to ri'preseMit him in the Slate 

 Legisliitme, or in Congress, or el.sewliere. Ho 

 lliought everybody wimld do what w;i.s right, 

 make such laws as were just anil proper. 

 He did not trouble himself nuKtIi about what 

 was done, simply folliiwing where others led. 

 I le did not st udy the (piesli<ins that came up for 

 consideration, or llu' laws tliat were piuss«'(l. So 

 hegotulongeven tolerably well, he was satisfied. 



Finally, however, he" learned he w;i.s not 

 getting along well at all. He found liimsi'lf 

 going backward instead of forward. Taxes so 

 high he could not pay them. Stock and pro- 

 duce so low that it did not pay to raise them. 

 Jiands tumbling down in price, and no one to 

 buy at even half of their former value. Money 

 going out of the pockets of the many into the 

 hands of the few. Millionaires hicre;i.sing 

 with alarming rapidity, and absorbing all the 

 gains of the i>eopIe. (Jiant monopolies, ana- 

 conda-like, (aushing out the lite of the people. 

 The vast imblic domain f^iven away to s(!hem- 

 ers and iilundercrs. Fraud, corruption, defal- 

 cation and public plunder taking the place of 

 virtue, hoiK'Sty and integrity in i)ublic afi^airs, 

 and a general sapping and undermining of 

 our republican institutions. 



Such conduct is likely to l)ring the i>eople to 

 rellection. They are the rulers, though they 

 have not been. Tlie servants wlioin the people 

 have elected to take care of their interests 

 have usurped all power, and made laws to 

 suit themselves. They have Ix'come greater 

 than their masters. Through the clirpies tliey 

 control, they nominate and elect whomsoever 

 tlu^y please. Farmers have kept in the back- 

 ground, and have seen what wa.s going on, and 

 have felt powerless to resist. Others, who 

 have been active and glib of tongue, have had 

 everything their own way. 



But, presto ! change. Farmers, six millions 

 .strong, have said such work must stop. But 

 something more than saying nuist be done. 

 Tliere is work to do — hard work, earnest, pro- 

 tracted work. The confiict must Ix' )>repared 

 for, for farmers have adroit, wily, persistent 

 foes to meet, who will never give up tlie ship 

 or surrender the sjioils, if they can help it. 

 Something more than nmnerical strength is 

 required. Mental strength, broad culture, 

 ability to meet their antagonists on thestuin|), 

 in the convention, or caucus, or legislative 

 hall, is re(iuired, or a general rout all along 

 the line will eiisiie. Thisability cannot be ob- 

 tained by sighing for it, any more than good 

 crops can be obtained by wishing for them, 

 (.'ulturc is required in both cjuses, and the more 

 generous the culture, the gicater the reward. 



We believe farmers a)ipreciafe this, and are 

 pre|iaring to a,s.sert and maintain their just 

 rights. They are improving their h'isure h ours 

 ill reading. They sul)scrilK* for the best papera, 

 meet in the grange and elsewhere, and talk 

 over tlie.sc matters, take a livelier interest in 

 imblic schools and pul)lic all'airs generally, and 

 are in reality inaugurating a new era. It 

 lakes a long tinu' to prepari' for a revolution. 

 It took our forefathers a long time to airhieve 

 tlieir independence, and it may take tlie far- 

 mei's a long timi', to break the sha<-kles with 

 wliicli wily politicians and schemers have bound 

 them. But let us pray for their success and 

 deliverance. But each man must remenilMjr 

 that he is an integral part of that great num- 

 ber to be reached, and that just as much de- 

 volves upon him as upon anylKidy else, and that 

 he can't shirk the resihinsibility, let him try 

 ever so hard. — Cobmin^s llural Wvrld. 



