16 
N£STS AND EGGS OF 
his partner by some two or three days, may be heard in the early morn- 
ing, and quite as frequently at the close of the day, from the tall tree- 
tops, chanting his wanton rhapsodies, for a half-hour at a time, utterly 
unmindful of passers-by. His roundelay, which is undoubtedly the free 
and happy expression of a heart actuated by the generous impulses of 
love, though composed of rather shrill and sprightly notes, and uttered 
with considerable agitation, is quite as pleasing as that of his nearest kin, 
the Baltimore Oriole. Clear, distinct and resonant, it thrills the air 
around, and is at last borne to the ears of some lonely female, tired with 
travel, and unblest by a partner. The life of the Orchard Oriole seems 
to be one of joyous song. Although fond of a dainty tid-bit, in the form 
of a juicy worm, he is not given to gormandizing; he only eats from 
sheer necessity; for, after having satisfied the demands of Nature, he 
resumes his soul-stirring strains, to the delight of man and bird. 
The sexes having come together in a wise and business-like way, with 
little or none of the bluster that is customary on such occasions, a con- 
ference ensues, which results in a temporary separation for mutual good; 
one bird going in one direction, and the other in an entirely opposite 
course. The selection of a suitable spot for a home is the vera causa of 
this divergence. This is evidently a labor of little moment, as, ordinarily, 
but a day or two is thus spent. It must not be inferred, however, that 
the birds are not particular as to place. A large experience has con- 
vinced us that great care and deliberation are then exercised. Many a 
tree is visited, and often the same tree again and again, before a decision 
is reached; and when at last a suitable site has been chosen, the happy 
pair set to work with praiseworthy diligence to construct a home. 
As previously remarked, an apple- or a pear-tree is generally chosen 
for nesting purposes. This is especially the case, as far as we are able to 
ascertain, in the Central and Western States; but in Texas, the nest is 
suspended from the up2:>er branches of a mesquite-tree. In the North, 
the common red maple, and several species of coniferous trees, are occa- 
sionally chosen, from some peculiar advantages .which they possess. A nest 
