SONG-BIRDS. Orchard Oriole 



meadows, and with the Snowflakes in the inland fields, from 

 which he announces " Spring o' the Year " with his pene- 

 trating voice, almost before that coy season has awaked and 

 warmed her fingers in the sun's grudging rays. 



Orchard Oriole: Icterus spurius. 



Plate 37. 



Length : 7 inches. 



Male : Black head, chin, neck, throat, tail, and part of wings. Breast, 

 belly, rump, and shoulders chestnut-brown. White wing bar, 

 and some feathers edged with black and chestnut. Round 

 black tail edged with lighter. Bill and feet bluish black. 



Female : Upper parts brown, wings with pale buff edges and shoulder 

 bars. Throat black, rump and edges of some tail feathers olive- 

 green. Under parts olive-yellow. 



Song : Resembling that of the Baltimore Oriole, but less shrill. 



Season : Summer resident ; May to September. 



Breeds : Throughout United States range. 



N~est : A round basket-like structure, notable for its even weaving. It 

 may be pensile or only partly so, and is usually placed in a 

 fruit tree at a moderate height. 



Eggs : 4, cloudy white, spotted with blackish brown. 



Range : United States, west to the Plains ; south, in winter, to Pan- 

 ama. 



The Orchard Oriole is less known in New England than 

 the Baltimore Oriole, not only because of its duller colouring 

 but because its range is more southerly, and though it goes 

 all through the Eastern States it is not plentiful north of 

 Massachusetts. 



I can always rely upon seeing a few pairs about the gar- 

 den in May, when the early apples are in bloom ; for though 

 these Orioles are chiefly insect-eaters, they will sometimes 

 help themselves to the fruit blossoms, and later on to an 

 occasional meal from the raspberry vines or the strawberry 

 bed. These depredations, however, are trifling in compari- 

 son to the good they do in destroying plant-lice, beetles, rose- 

 slugs, and cabbage-worms. 



As singers their notes are more harsh and rapidly uttered 

 than those of the other species, and are not particularly 



171 



