172 AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY. 



eight inches. So firmly are they attached to the branches from which 

 they are swung that they frequently remain intact for several years, 

 although they are never used but once. During the winter months 

 when the trees are bare, a great many of these can be seen, indicating 

 to a certain extent the oriole population of the previous year. 



Occasionally they will build these nests on the lower hanging branches 

 of elms where they are within reach of the ground, but more often 

 they are far out on limbs at a great elevation from the ground, where 

 even the small boy or nimble cat cannot explore the contents. 



They generally make their appearance in New England about the 

 10th of May and until the middle of July their notes attract the atten- 

 tion of everyone capable of observing birds. The males generally 

 come a few days before the females, and seem to be very restless as 

 they move about the budding trees ; their notes also seem to be quer- 

 ulous and complaining. It is not until the arrival of the female a few 

 days later that they indulge in their rich full-toned melody. To give 

 any adequate description of the song of an oriole will defy the best 

 efforts of any writer. The female, too, has a song that would ordinar- 

 ily be considered beautiful were it not for the overshadowing perform- 

 ance of her mate. 



The parent orioles are very courageous and resolutely defend their 

 homes against invaders. The female sits upon the eggs for about 

 fourteen days and the young remain in the nest for about ten days 

 longer. Several days before they can fly, they climb to the rim of the 

 nest where they can look out upon the world below them, and incidental- 

 ly, that they may be ready to receive the food which their parents bring 

 them, as soon as possible. At this period, the wind swaying the 

 branches frequently causes them to lose their balance and either fall 

 back into the nest or sometimes outside to the ground. In the latter 

 case unless they are injured by the fall they are generally able with the 

 assistance of their parents, and by using their bill, wings and feet, to 

 climb to a place of safety where they can remain until they have devel- 

 oped sufficiently to make extended flights. 



Orioles both young and adults feed almost entirely upon insects and 

 they destroy large numbers of tent caterpillars and canker-worms. 

 After the young are fully fledged, several families unite and rove about 

 the country together. Both males and females seem to make no at- 

 tempt at song after the young have left the nest, and only the single 

 sharp, metallic whistle or chirp is heard to denote their presence. 



