" UPON THE TREE-TOP:'' 127 



received a morsel, while both parents coaxed 

 him from the next tree, he stretched his wings, 

 shook them out, plumed himself, and gradually 

 grew accustomed to being out. They called ; 

 they flew about, around him, as if to show how 

 easy it was ; they uttered the low yearning cry 

 spoken of ; and above all, they nearly starved 

 him. " Come here, and you shall eat," their 

 manner said; and at last the youngling flut- 

 tered away, in a wavering, uncertain manner. 

 He reached the nearest tree, caught at a twig, 

 missed it, clutched awkwardly, beat the air, and 

 finally managed to secure a hold. Then he at 

 once righted himself, shook himself out, and 

 began to cry ! He was abundantly fed and 

 coddled by the delighted parents, and soon be- 

 gan, to hop around on the tree quite proudly. 



Meanwhile number four had scrambled up to 

 the twig from which flew every young oriole 

 that I saw. Even in the cradle, or at least on 

 its edge, these birds displayed character. This 

 one was quite different from his predecessor : 

 he looked about him ; he did not cry so much; 

 and when, after an hour's preparation, he flew, 

 he soared off in a strong flight, aiming for a 

 tree more than twice as far from home as that 

 his brother had selected for his first attempt. 

 He was a bold, self-reliant, heroic spirit, doubt- 

 less his father's own son, who would fight 



