BIRDS OF PENNSYLVANIA. 217 



are in allusion to the orange coloration, brightest on the breast, but 

 varying in amount as well as brilliancy with age and season. He is also 

 called Hang-nest and Hanging-bird, from the i'act that he, assisted by 

 his mate, constructs a most elaborate pensile nest, so frequently seen 

 swinging in the pendant branches of the drooping willow, the spreading 

 elm, the stately poplar or the tall sycamore. Nest building, in this 

 locality, is begun late in May or early in June. The male devotes him- 

 self, principally, to collecting the building materials, while upon the 

 female, Mr. Gentry states, " devolves the duty of weaving the ingre- 

 dients together, which is the labor of a week of almost steady applica- 

 tion." The nest, composed of various materials,* such as strings, pieces 

 of lint, rags, plant-fibers, hair, etc., which are capable of being woven 

 together, is always suspended from the pendulous branches of a tree 

 either in an orchard, lawn or woods. The bottom of this swaying, cylin- 

 dric and pouch-like abode is lined with different downy substances. The 

 nests are generally so placed that they are sheltered by a bunch of 

 leaves hanging from above, sometimes, however, when insufficient protec- 

 tion is thus furnished by nature, these weaver-birds, to shield their hid- 

 den treasures from sun and rain, will construct a canopy of strings, etc., 

 above the top of their house. The eggs, commonly five in number, are 

 a little larger than those of the Orchard Oriole. They are whitish, 

 dotted, blotched, spotted and sinuously lined with black and brown. 

 The Baltimore Oriole feeds chiefly on various forms of insect-life. The 

 destructive apple-tree caterpillars, as well as other caterpillars, are de- 

 stroyed in great quantities by these birds, who not only subsist to a 

 considerable extent on these and other larvae, but likewise, Nuttall states, 

 feed their young principally on soft caterpillars. The orioles also cap- 

 ture large numbers of beetles, flies, spiders, etc., in the fruit and forest 

 trees. They occasionally feed on the blossoms of the apple, pear, 

 rnaple and other trees. A juicy cherry is relished, and different kinds 

 of small berries are fed upon to a more or less extent. Mr. Gentry in 

 relation to this species says: "This oriole deserves our favor and 

 esteem for the numerous insects of an injurious character which it de- 

 stroys, which thus compensate for the trifling injuries which it commits 

 in the destruction of the succulent pea and the blossoms of the cherry 

 and apple which it rifles of their stamens and ovaries." 



To Prof. A. Wanner, of York, Pa., I am indebted for the following in- 

 teresting note concerning this species: "Several years ago I observed 

 some Baltimore Orioles in my yard opening the rough (on the exterior) 

 almond-shaped cocoons that hung from the limbs of fruit trees. The 

 birds systematically hunted limb after limb in quest of the cocoons, 



* The following interesting extract is taken from a letter sent to the author by Dr. John W. Detwiller 

 of Northampton county : "The late Dr. H. Detwiller, of Easton, Penna. , had a female Baltimore Oriole 

 in confinement for several years. It became so tame that it had the liberty to fly about the house as it 

 pleased; it built a nest from the Doctor's gray hair which it would pull from his head. This remarkable 

 piece of bird architecture is now In the possession of Mr. Mlnnot, of Germantown, Pennsylvania. " 



