364 BLACKBIRDS, ORIOLES, ETC. 



flight-songs of the two birds are much alike, but, in my experience, 

 neglecta sings much more frequently on the wing, and, in the height of 

 the mating season, sings as often in the air as from a perch. 



1890. SETON, E. T., Proc. U. S. N. M., XIII, 573-379 (biog.). 1896. 

 BELDING, L., Auk, XIII, 29, 30 (songs). 



506. Icterus spurius (Linn.}. ORCHARD ORIOLE. Ad. <?. Head, 

 neck, throat, and upper back black; breast, belly, lower back, and lesser 

 wing-coverts chestnut; wings and tail fuscous, more or less edged or tipped 

 with whitish. Ad. 9. Upperparts grayish olive-green, brighter on the 

 head and rump; wings fuscous, middle and greater coverts tipped with whit- 

 ish; tail brisht olive-green; underparts dull yellow. Im. d% first winter 

 plumage. Similar to the ad. 9, but with the back browner. Im. d 1 , first nup- 

 tial plumage. Similar to the ad. 9 , but with the throat black and occasion- 

 ally patches of chestnut on the underparts. L., 7'32; W., 3*18; T., 2'92; B., 

 '65. 



Remarks. The interesting changes of plumage which the Orchard Oriole 

 undergoes are well illustrated by the accompanying plate (plate xxi). The 

 Juvenal or nestling plumage (not shown) resembles, but is browner above 

 and paler below than the first winter plumage (Fig. 6), which is acquired 

 by molt of the body feathers and wing-coverts in July. The male in first 

 winter plumage is indistinguishable from the female in first winter plumage; 

 and differs only slightly from the adult female in summer plumage (Fig. 5) 

 In first nuptial plumage, acquired by partial molt in spring, the male has 

 the throat black, but, as a rule, is otherwise like the female (Fig. 4) . The 

 amount of black in the throat varies. Sometimes it is restricted to a few 

 feathers, again it spreads somewhat down the breast, and such highly devel- 

 oped birds usually have traces of chestnut in the underparts (Fig. 3). 



The postnuptial (fall) molt apparently does not occur until after the 

 bird has left us for the South, when it passes into winter plumage (Fig. 2) 

 which , as Dwight has said, resembles that of the adult. There is no spring 

 molt and the adult chestnut and black breeding plumage (Fig. 1) is acquired 

 by a wearing off of the buffy tips which fringe the winter plumage. 



Range. E. N. Am. Breeds from N. D., nw. Minn., Wise., Mich., 

 s. Ont., cen. N. Y., and Mass. s. to n. Fla. and the Gulf coast to s. Tex., and 

 in Mex. to Oaxaca and Jalisco, and w. to cen. Nebr. and w. Kans.; winters 

 from s. Mex. to n. Colombia; casual n. to Vt., N. H., Maine, and N. B., 

 and w. to Colo. ; occasional in s. Fla. and Cuba in spring migration. 



Washington, common S. R., Apl. 29- Aug. 22. Ossining, common S. R., 

 May 2-Aug. 6. Cambridge, S. R., sometimes rather common, May 15- 

 July. N. Ohio, common S. R., Apl. 28-Sept. 5. Glen Ellyn, not common 

 S. R., Apl. 28. SE. Minn., uncommon S. R., May 10- Aug. 26. 



Nest, pensile, of grasses interwoven, near the extremity of a limb, 10-15 

 feet up. Eggs, 3-5, bluish white, distinctly and obscurely spotted, blotched, 

 and scrawled with fuscous or black, "79 x "58. Date, Ossining, N. Y., May 

 29; St. Louis, Mo., May 14. 



Although the Orchard Oriole generally frequents apple orchards, 

 he is entirely at home among the shade trees of our lawns. 



There is an air of refinement about this bird which seems to per- 

 vade his whole life history. He dresses quietly but with excellent taste, 

 his nest is of the choicest materials, while his song suggests the finished 

 effort of a perfectly trained performer. His voice is indeed unusually 

 rich and flexible, and he uses it with rare skill and expression. Words 

 can not describe his song, but no lover of bird-music will be long in the 

 vicinity of a singing Orchard Oriole without learning the distinguished 

 songster's name. 



