11)2 NORTH AMKHK^VX RirtDR. 



lint, (inly vory almiuliii t, ))ut vi-ry ^'oncnilly (liirnscd. Iljirdly mi orchnvd 

 (ir ii uiirdcii dl' any si/i^ imii lie I'oniul witlioiit lliciii. Tlicy sccin to pivt'cr 

 iili|il('-lr('i's lor tlicir almdc, anil I'or tlic (■(iiistnictinn of tlu n 'sts. Tlicso 

 sinictiircs, tliiiiiL,di csscnlially dilllTcnt, arc, in llicir style n|' ardiitcftnic, 

 iinitu as ciii'i<Misly WTdiij^iit and in,ui'nii)iis as Umsc nf tlic llaltiniorc. They 

 are suspended I'nun small t\\iL;s, di'ten at the very extremity ot' tiie hraiiches. 

 In I'eiinsyhaiiia lliey are iisualiy loriiii'd externally of a peculiar kind of long, 

 touL-li, and llcxihlc '^rass. This material is wnveii tliroiiuli and thrmi'jh in a 

 very wnnderl'ul maniu'r, and with as nuicli ncalness and intricacy as it actu- 

 ally sewed witii a lu'cille. They are lu'inispherical in shape, (ipcn at the top, 

 and j^enerally ahuiil I'lair inciies in lnvadtli and three dee]). Tlui cavity lias 

 a dejilli and a widlh nf aluait two iiiciies. 



Wilson states that, liavinn' had the curiosity to delacii oiui ol" tiiese tihres 

 oi' dried j^rass I'rum the nest, he found it thirteen inches in length, and that, 

 in that distance, it had been honked through and returned no less tiiaii thirty- 

 f< air limes ! In tiiis manner it was passed entirely anaiml the nest. The 

 nests ari' occasionally lined witii wool or the down of ,sce(ls. The external 

 jiortioiis are strongly fastened to several twigs, so that they mayliu bhnvii 

 about by the wind without being ujiset. 



Wilson also remarks that he observed tliat wiien these nests arc built in 

 tlu^ long ])endeiit branclies of the weeping-willow, where they an' lialile to 

 niiicii greater motion, though formed of the same materials, tliey are a.lways 

 made much deeper and of slighter texture. He regards tliis as a mani- 

 festation of a remarkable intelligence, almost eipii\ak'nt to reason. The 

 willow, owing to the greater density of its foliage, alfords better shelter, and 

 is ])rel'eri\'d (ai that aci-.iunt, and owing to the great sweep, in the wind, of 

 the liranciies, the egu laiid lie liable to be rolled out if the nest woro of 

 the usual de])lh ; hence this adaptation to such positions. 



The foml ol' the Orchard Oriide is almost exclusively insects. Of tliese 

 it consumes a large niiiiilier, and witii them it also feeds its yiuing. 

 Most of these are of the kinds most obnoxious to tiie husliandman, preying 

 iipnii the i'oliage, destroying the fruit, and otherwise injuring the trees, 

 and llieir destroyers render an incalculable amount of benelit to tlu^ gar- 

 dens they fav(a' with their presence. At tlie same tiiiu; they are entirely 

 innocent of injury to crops of any description, and 1 cannot find that any 

 accusations or cxiiressions of suspici(ai have been raiNcd against them, 'i'hey 

 seimi to be, therefore, general favorites, ami, wherever ]irotei'ted, evince their 

 appriH'ialion of this good-will by tlieir familiarity and numliers. 



The female sits upon her eggs fourteen days, and tiie young remain in the 

 ne.st aiiout ten days longer, 'i'hey are supposed to have occasionally two 

 broods in a seasi u, as nests with eggs an; found the last of -luly. Tlicy 

 are said to arrive i;i Pennsylvania aiiout the iir.st of May, and to leave beforu 

 tiu^ middle of Septemlier. 



According to Wilson tliev are easily laised from tiie nest, and Ikmuiiuo very 



