The Oriole's nest is "A Castle in the Air" as it swings 

 and rocks in the breeze near the end of a long branch of a tall 

 tree. Among all the nests in orchard or woods, it is the most 

 noticeable. Generally it is in the form of a bag about six or 

 seven inches deep, round at the bottom, and fastened at the 

 top to a forked branch which keeps the nest open. It is made 

 of almost anything that can be laced or woven easily, thin 

 vegetable substances, yarn, twine, horse-hair, all well sewed 

 together. The bottom is cushioned with vegetable down and 

 hair, while the sides are so thin as to let air and light through 

 them. Eggs, four to six, dull white, blotched with brown, 

 1.15 X .80 inches. 



This wonderful nest is built by the female bird alone, 

 though her mate would gladly help her to do it if she would 

 let him. Evidently she thinks he is too fine looking, or too 

 clumsy for such work. He, therefore, has nothing to do but 

 to sing until the eggs have been hatched out. Then he joins 

 in the task of filling the hungry mouths with various insects, 

 which are the principal diet for both young and old. Olive 

 Thorn Miller has well named young Orioles, "The Crybabies 

 of the Bird World." Their call for food.is stopped only when 

 a parent arrives with a supply for them, and it begins again as 

 soon as they have swallowed the morsel. 



There is no time left for these birds to sing after the eggs 

 are hatched. Indeed, few songs are heard from the Oriole 

 from the end of June until the beginning of September. Dur- 

 ing this time the young have been raised and the parents have 

 moulted. The male now resembles the female. About the 

 middle of September the male, in his new dress and with spirits 

 as gay and lively as when he came in May, gathers his full- 

 grown family around him and departs for. the sunny countries 

 of the South. 



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