THE BALTIMORE ORIOLE. 



THE LEGEND OF THE CROSSBILL. 



(From the German of Julius Mosen.} 



" On the Cross the dying Saviour 



Heavenward lifts His eyelids calm, 



Feels, but scarcely feels, a trembling 



T TT- . , i T.T T " And the Saviour speaks in mildness : 



In His pierced and bleeding palm. 



' Blest be thou of all the good ! 



" And by all the world forsaken, 

 Sees He how with zealous care 



From the Cross 'twould free the Saviour, 

 Its Creator's Son release. 



Bear, as token of this moment, 

 Marks of blood and holy rood ! ' 



At the ruthless nail of iron 



A viii v j i A.I. " And that bird is called the Crossbill; 



A little bird is striving there. 



Covered all with blood so clear, 



" Stained with blood and never tiring, 

 With its beak it doth not cease, 



In the groves of pine it singeth 



Songs, like legends, strange to hear." 



THE NINTH FAMILY OF FINCH-LIKE PERCHING BIRDS. 

 THE ICTERID^E HANG-NESTS. 



The Hang-nests are a strictly American family, showing affinities to the Starlings and Weaver- 

 birds of the Old World. Many of the species congregate in flocks, and affect the ground like the 

 true Starlings, while their long purse-like nests suggest their affinity with the Weaver-birds. 

 There are three sub-families of the fcteridce, viz., the Agcelceirue, or Cow-birds, the Icterince, or 

 true Hang-nests, and the Quiscalince, or Grakles. In the first of these sub-families are found the 

 Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus), or Rice-bird, and the Cow-birds ; the latter being very interesting 

 on account of their parasitic habits, which resemble those of the common Cuckoo of Europe. Dr. 

 Brewer writes of the common Cow-bird (Molothrus jwcoris) : " This species is at all times gregarious 

 and polygamous, never mating and never exhibiting any signs of either conjugal or parental affections. 

 Like the Cuckoos of Europe, our Cow Blackbird never constructs a nest of her own, and never hatches 

 out or attempts to rear her own offspring, but imposes her eggs upon other birds ; and most of these, 

 either unconscious of the imposition or unable to rid themselves of the alien, sit upon and hatch the 

 stranger, and in so doing virtually destroy their own offspring, for the eggs of the Cow- bird are the 

 first hatched, visually two days before the others. The nursling is much larger in size, filling up a large 

 portion of the nest, and is insatiable in its appetite, always clamouring to be fed, and receiving by far 

 the larger share of the food brought to the nest. Its foster companions, either starved or stifled, soon 

 die, and their dead bodies are removed, it is supposed, by their parents. They are never found near 

 the nest, as they would be if the young Cow Blackbird expelled them as does the Cuckoo ; indeed, 

 Mr. Nuttall has seen parent birds removing the dead young to a distance from the nest, and there 

 dropping them."* A very instructive article on the "procreant instincts " of the three species of 

 Molotlirus found in Buenos Ayres was contributed by that excellent observer, Mr. W. H. Hudson, 

 to the Proceedings of the Zoological Society for 1874. 



The second sub-family of the Icteridce viz., the Icterince consists principally of the brilliant 

 yellow and black Hang-nests of America, which are popularly called the Orioles of the New World. 

 One of the best known is the Baltimore Oriole (Icterus baltimora), a good account of whose habits 

 will be found in the before-mentioned work from the pen of Dr. Brewer. He observes: "The 

 Baltimore Oriole is one of the most common birds nearly throughout New England. Gay and brilliant 

 in plumage, interesting and lively in manners and habits, and a vocalist of rare power, with pathos, 

 beauty, and variety in his notes, this bird has been, and would still be, a great favourite but for his 

 transgressions. 



" Among the pea-vines of our gardens he makes his appearance with exemplary punctuality, 

 seeming regardless of the prematureness or tardiness of the season. Rarely does the 10th of May pass 

 without the sound of his welcome notes, and rarely, if ever, does he come sooner. When the male 

 Baltimores first arrive, they come unaccompanied by their mates. At this time their notes are unusually 

 loud, and their voices seem shrill. Their song appears to partake somewhat of the nature of tender 



* Baird, Brewer, and Eidgway, "Xorth American Birds," p. 155. This work should be consulted for the history of the 

 true Hang-nests, an interesting account of which is given, but is too long to be reproduced in the present work. 



