124 Land Birds of New England 



cording to Bicknell they sing during both spring and 

 fall migrations ; and the authors of North American 

 Birds mention " a very pretty note," which they re' 

 gard as characteristic of early summer. 



68. BALTIMORE ORIOLE ; GOLDEN ROBIN 

 FIREBIRD; HANGNEST 



(Icterus galb ula.) 



Male : head, .throat, and back black ; rump and under parts from 

 the throat back, fiery orange; outer part of tail orange, middle 

 part black ; wings black, with a little white on them, but not 

 enough to make a wing bar. Beak long, strong, and dark. Bird 

 nearly midway in size between a sparrow and a robin. Female : 

 head and back olivaceous ; rump and under parts yellow ; tail 

 olivaceous yellow ; wings dusky with two white bars. 



This is one of our famous beauties of bird life, 

 noted alike for its .flash of color, its assiduity in sing- 

 ing, and its skill at the loom. COUES. 



IT is a familiar bird of the streets and parks, es- 

 pecially abundant among elms. Its flight is singu- 

 larly rapid and direct, hence the flash of its color. 



Aly oriole, my glance of summer fire. LOWELL. 



It comes to the vicinity of Boston about the tenth 

 of May, timing its coming by the blossoming of the 

 fruit-trees, and it leaves us again in September. 

 The males arrive first, and the character of the song 

 is said to be quite different during and after the 

 period of bachelor solitude. 



