i8o American Birds 



They were always together in the trees about the orchard. 

 Beyond the chicken yard was an old deserted cabin. A 

 part of the window had been broken out, and the pair 

 often sat there on the sash. Sometimes they hopped in 

 and sat on the table inside. I didn't know at the time, 

 but I think they were attracted by the reflections in the 

 glass. The female would flutter before the glass and 

 then light in the broken pane and look about with the 

 most mysterious expression. 



Just at the side of the house were three large cherry 

 trees with wide-spreading branches reaching almost to the 

 windows. When the dark shades were drawn the win- 

 dows made a very good mirror. One day when the pair 

 of orioles were playing about the cherry trees I saw the 

 female light on a low branch in front of the window. 

 Then in a few moments she flew down and lit on the sash. 

 The next day I saw both the orioles at the window. The 

 male sat near on the branches and the female on the sill. 

 As I watched she fluttered up against the window, trying 

 her best to hang on, till she slipped down to the bottom. 

 Then she turned her head and watched In the glass. The 

 more she looked the more excited she seemed to get, and 

 she fluttered against the glass till out of breath. Then 

 the mate flew down beside her. Time after time the birds 

 were seen at the window. Had the lady, like Narcissus, 

 fallen in love with herself, or was curiosity leading her 

 on? I never saw a pair of birds with such a mania for 

 windows. I thought the male would hurl himself at the re- 

 flection he saw in the window, but, contrary to my expecta- 

 tions, he took the picture as a matter of course. He sat 

 on the sill or perched near by on the branches while his 



