THE OOLOQIST 



169 



ORIOLE INSTINCT 



Not only the wonderful weaving 

 together of grass blades, plant stalks 

 shredded, and bits of string that 

 goes into the making of the Baltimore 

 Oriole's nest, but the instinct shown 

 in the selection of some particular 

 tree, one special limb and a branch 

 rdapted to holding the nest is mar- 

 velous to me. 



This specimen nest was cut from an 

 apple tree in October, the supple end 

 branches were curved towards each 

 other so taut was the weaving, al- 

 t''ou£rh there were loose ends flying 

 about. The cross branch, over which 

 several strands were looped was cut 

 in taking the nest, so there were 

 originally four twigs as main sup- 

 ports, as well as the prongs. How 

 came the Oriole to know that these 

 twigs hung in the right position, to 

 bend, converging to exactly the right 

 distance, for a nest thirteen inches 

 around and seven inches deep? 



Truly the Unknown in the realm of 

 nature extends to us wonders that 

 make Arabian Night's Tales and 

 otlier fairy lore of childhood very 

 time and commonplace. 



I have noticed many Oriole's ne. ts 

 banging from some outer tip of an 

 elm branch, high in the air, but this 

 is the only nest I ever found in an 

 apple tree, and the only one built low 

 enough to cut off. And the only time 

 I ever saw a Wren enter one, was at 

 this time, when one carried a hand- 

 ful of twigs and placed them end- 

 wise inside, like so many knitting 

 needles inserted into a bag. What 

 the purpose of this was in bird wis- 

 dom I am still guessing. 



Leda W- Chace, 

 Lawrenceville, Pa. 



STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP. 

 MANAGEMENT, CIRCULATION, 

 ETC., REQUIRED BY THE ACT OF 

 CONGRESS OF AUGUST 24. 1912, 

 of The Oologist, published monthly 

 at Albion, N. Y., for October 1, 1923. 

 STATE OF ILLINOIS, 

 County of Marshall — ss. 

 Before me, a Notary Public, in and 

 for the State and county aforesaid, 

 personally appeared R. M a g o o n 

 Barnes, who, having been duly sworn 

 according to law, deposes and says 

 that he is the owner of The Oologist, 

 and that the following is, to the best 

 of his knowledge and belief, a true 

 statement of the ownership, manage- 

 ment, etc., of the aforesaid publica- 

 tion for the date shown in the above 

 caption, required by the Act of August 

 24, 1912, embodied in section 443, Pos- 

 tal Laws and Regulations. 



Publisher, Editor, Managing Editor, 

 and Business Manager, R. Magoon 

 Barnes, Lacon, Illinois. Not a corpor- 

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 The Oologist is owned exclusively by 

 R. Magoon Barnes. 



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 gagers or other security holder, none 

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R. MAGOON BARNES, 

 Sworn to and subscribed before me 

 this 9th day of Otober, 1923. 



(Seal) FAY BALL, 



My commission expires Feb. 16, 1927. 



