BALTIMORE ORIOLE. ll 
of names, such as Hang-Nest, Hanging-Bird, Golden Robin, Fire-Bird, 
(from the bright orange seen seo the green leaves, resembling a 
flash of fire,) &c., but more generally the Baltimore Bird, so named, as 
Catesby informs us, from its colors, which are black and orange, 
being those of the arms or livery of Lord Baltimore, formerly pro- 
prietary of Maryland. : 
The Baltimore Oriole is seven inches in length ; bill, almost straight, 
strong, tapering to a sharp point, black, and sometimes lead-colored, 
above, the lower mandible light blue towards the base. Head, throat, 
upper part of the back and wings, black; lower part of the back, 
rump, and whole under parts, a bright orange, deepening into ver- 
milion on the breast; the black on the shoulders is also divided by a 
band of orange; exterior edges of the greater wing-coverts, as well 
as the edges of the secondaries, and part of those of the primaries, 
white; the tail-feathers under the coverts, orange; the two middle 
ones, from thence to the tips, are black; the next five, on each side, 
black near the coverts, and orange towards the extremities, so disposed 
that, when the tail is expanded, and the coverts removed, the black 
appears in the form of a pyramid, supported on an arch of orange. 
Tail, slightly forked, the exterior feather on each side, a quarter ot 
an inch shorter than the others; legs and feet, light blue, or lead 
color ; iris of the eye, haze]. 
The female has the head, throat, upper part of the neck and back, 
of a dull black, each feather being skirted with olive yellow; lower 
part of the back, rump, upper tail-coverts, and whole lower parts, 
orange yellow, but much duller than that of the male; the whole 
wing-feathers are of a deep dirty brown, except the quills, which are 
exteriorly edged, and the greater wing-coverts, and next superior row, 
which are broadly tipped with a dull yellowish white ; tail, olive yellow; 
in some specimens, the two middle feathers have been found partly 
black, in others wholly so; the black on the throat does not descend 
so far as in the male, is of a lighter tinge, and more irregular; bill, 
legs, and claws, light blue.* 
Buffon and Latham have both described the male of the Bastard 
Baltimore ( Oriolus spurius) as the female Baltimore. Mr. Pennant has 
committed the same mistake; and all the ornithologists of Europe, 
with whose works I am acquainted, who have undertaken to figure and 
describe these birds, have mistaken the proper males and females, and 
confounded the two species together in a very confused and extraor- 
dinary manner, for which, indeed, we ought to pardon them, on ac- 
* The change of the plumage 'of this bird, according to age, is beautifully repre- 
sented on one of Mr. Audubon’s migentic plates, together with its favorite tiie, i 
and curious pensile nest. According to that gentleman, the male does not receive © 
his full plumage until the third spring. In the male of one year, the bill is dark 
brown above, pale blue beneath; the iris, brown; feet, light blue. The general 
¢olor is dull brownish yellow, tinged with olive on the head and back; the wings, 
blackish brown ; the quills and large coverts margined and tipped with white ; the 
lesser coverts are olivaceous ; the tail, destitute of black; and the under parts paler 
than in the adult, without any approach to the vivid orange tints displayed on it. 
In that of the second spring, the distribution of color has become the same as in the 
adult male, but the yellow is less vivid; the upper mandible is brownish black above, 
and the iris is light brown: in the third spring, they receive the rich and brilliant 
plumage described by our author. — Ep. wer 
