184 IN THE MIDDLE COUNTRY. 



in a neighbor's yard. The moment I entered 

 the grounds I noticed a great outcry. It was 

 loud ; it was incessant ; and it was of many 

 voices. Following the sound, I started across 

 the unmown field, 



" Through the bending grasses, 



Tall and lushy green, 

 All alive with tiny things, 

 Stirring feet and whirring wings 



Just an instant seen," 



and soon came in sight of the nest near the top- 

 most twig of an old apple-tree. 



It was about noon of a bright, sunny day, and 

 I could see only that the nest was straw-color, 

 apparently run over with little ones, and both 

 the parents were industriously feeding. The 

 cries suggested the persistence of young orioles, 

 but it was not a Baltimore's swinging cradle, 

 and the old birds were so shy, coming from be- 

 hind the leaves, every one of which turned 

 itself into a reflector for the sunlight, that I 

 could not identify them. 



Later in the day I paid them another visit, 

 and finding a better post of observation under 

 the shade of a sweet-briar bush, I saw at once 

 they were orchard orioles, and that the young 

 ones were climbing to the edge of the nest ; I 

 had nearly been too late ! 



Four o'clock was the unearthly hour at which 



