THE ORCHARD ORIOLE. 



The Orchard Oriole is here. 



Why has he come? To cheer, to cheer — C. C. M. 



(5 HE Orchard Oriole has a gen- 

 eral range throughout the 

 United States, spending the 

 winter in Central America. 

 It breeds only in the eastern and 

 central parts of the United States. In 

 Florida it is a summer resident, and is 

 found in greatest abundance in the 

 states bordering the Mississippi Valley. 

 This Oriole appears on our southern 

 border about the first of April, moving 

 leisurely northward to its breeding 

 grounds for a month or six weeks, 

 according to the season, the males pre- 

 ceding the females several days. 



Though a fine bird, and attractive 

 in his manners and attire, he is not so 

 interesting or brilliant as his cousin, 

 the Baltimore Oriole. He is restless 

 and impulsive, but of a pleasant dis- 

 position, on good terms with his neigh- 

 bors, and somewhat shy and diihcult 

 to observe closely, as he conceals him- 

 self in the densest foliage while at 

 rest, or flies quickly about from twig 

 to twig in search of insects, wfiich, 

 during the summer months, are his 

 exclusive diet. 



The favorite haunts of this very 

 agreeable songster, as his name im- 

 plies, are orchards, and when the apple 

 and pear trees are in bloom, and the 

 trees begin to put out their leaves, his 

 notes have an ecstatic character quite 

 the reverse of the mournful lament of 

 the Baltimore species. Some writers 

 speak of his song as confused, but 

 others say this attribute does not 

 apply to his tones, the musician 

 detecting anything but confusion in 

 the rapidity and distinctness of his 

 gushing notes. These may be too 



quick for the listener to follow, but 

 there is harmony in them. 



In the Central States hardly an 

 orchard or a garden of any size can 

 be found without these birds. They 

 prefer to build their nests in apple 

 trees. The nest is different, but quite 

 as curiously made as that of the Balti- 

 more. It is suspended from a small 

 twig, often at the very extremity of 

 the branches. The outer part of the 

 nest is usually formed of long, tough 

 grass, woven through with as much 

 neatness and in as intricate a manner 

 as if sewed with a needle. The nests 

 are round, open at the top, about four 

 inches broad and three deep. 



It is admitted that few birds do 

 more good and less harm than our 

 Orchard Oriole, especially to the fruit 

 grower. Most of his food consists of 

 small beetles, plant lice, flies, hairless 

 caterpillars, cabbage worms, grass- 

 hoppers, rose bugs, and larvae of all 

 kinds, while the few berries it may 

 help itself to during the short time 

 they last are many times paid for by 

 the great number of insect pests de- 

 stroyed, making it worthy the fullest 

 protection. 



The Orchard Oriole is very social, 

 especially with the king bird. Most 

 of his time is spent in trees. His 

 flight is easy, swift, and graceful. The 

 female lays from four to six eggs, one 

 each day. She alone sits on the eggs, 

 the male feeding her at intervals. 

 Both parents are devoted to their 

 young. 



The fall migration begins in the 

 latter part of July or the beginning of 

 August, comparatively few remaining 

 till September. 



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