The Birds and Poets 151 



brilliant fairy sporting in the summer sunshine. 

 The humming bird is a solitary, spirit-like, song- 

 less bird, and little is known about its migratory 

 habits. 



"Thine is the nested silence, and the hush 

 That needs no song." 



The orchard oriole and the American redstart 

 are the first of our birds to leave for the south. 



The orchard oriole, while formerly common, is 

 now a rather uncommon summer resident, and 

 unfortunately it makes probably the shortest stay 

 at its nesting site of any of our birds. It arrives 

 early in May and leaves about the middle of July, 

 thus spending but two and one-half of the twelve 

 months of the year with us. 



The orchard oriole, as his name implies, is fond 

 of fruit trees and orchards. He has not the bril- 

 liant feathers of his cousin, the Baltimore, but he 

 is a bird of the greatest refinement, both in song 

 and plumage. His coat is black and chestnut, — 

 black head, neck, throat and upper back, and chest- 

 nut under parts and lower back. He is a dis- 

 tinguished songster, with an unusually rich and 

 flexible voice which he uses with rare skill and 

 expression. It is impossible to describe his song in 

 words, but once heard by any lover of bird music, 

 the bird will be sought out, and once seen he will 

 not soon be forgotten. 



The redstart also leaves all too early. He 



