292 BALTIMORE ORIOLE. 



"Audubon Magazine" gives the following truthful description of the Oriole's excellent 

 services : 



"The first notice we have of the Baltimore's presence is his sweet whistle heard 

 in the early morning. If we look for him we shall find him high up among the branches 

 of an elm or oak, or sycamore or cherry tree, busily looking for food, and if we take a 

 little time to watch him, may see how systematically he goes to work to secure his 

 breakfast. He will very likely alight on some large branch near the trunk of the tree, 

 and thence work outward toward the smaller branches, going carefully over almost 

 every twig, and always flying back to the main branch to begin his examination of a 

 smaller one. He peers into each crevice of the bark ; looks under each leaf; and 'takes 

 out from each blossom the insects which have gathered there to feed on the sweet 

 honey. The little bunches of eggs hidden last autumn in the crannies and nooks where 

 the mother beetle or moth thought they would be safe, do not escape his keen sight 

 and his strong, sharp-pointed bill ; the eater-pillar, just hatched out and beginning to 

 feed on the tender leaves, is far too slow to get away if the Oriole once espies him ; 

 and the insect which is Etbout to lay its eggs in the fruit which is just now forming, 

 will have to be very quick and cunning if it is to avoid the sharp eyes of Lord Balti- 

 more. All through the spring and summer this is the Oriole's work, performed day after 

 day, constantly, carefully, faithfully. No one can know how much good he does by his 

 unceasing warfare against the insects ; no one can know how many trees he saves, how^ 

 many barrels of fruit he gives to the farmer, fruit \\rhich but for him would be eaten up 

 by the grubs, or having been stung by insects would drop off from the trees before 

 ripening. 



"But there are some people who believe that the Oriole does a great deal of harm. 

 They say that he eats the peas in spring and destroys grapes in great numbers in the 

 autumn. 



"Perhaps the Baltimore Oriole is not altogether perfect. He does visit the pea 

 vines, but it is probably more to get the insects which gather about the sweet white 

 blossoms than to eat the peas. But even if he should take a few of them, what a trifle 

 in money value this loss would be when compared with the great good that he does 

 by destroying the insects ; and the same is true with regard to the few grapes he may eat. 



"Without the Oriole, and other birds who do such work as he, we might not have 

 any vines at all on which to grow grapes. There are many learned people who believe 

 that the terrible disease, due to a small insect, which has destroyed so many of the 

 finest vine-yards in France, is caused by the wholesale killing of birds which takes place 

 in that country. The Oriole may do some little harm in the waj' indicated, but his 

 services to man are very great and far outweigh the value of a few small fruits." 



Like all the Orioles the Golden Robin is an excellent cage bird. If fed and cared 

 for in the same way as the Mockingbird is treated in confinement, it thrives very well. 



It leaves its summer home in small scattered flocks late in August and early in 

 September. 



NAMES: Baltimobe Oriole, Golden Robin, Hangnest, Firebird, Baltimore Bird, Hangingbird, Golden Oriole. 



SCIENTIFIC NAMES: Coracias galbula Linn. (1758). ICTERUS GALBULA Coues (1880). Oriolus 

 baltimore Linn. (1766). Icterus baltimore Daud. (1810). Hyphantes baltimore Cass. (1867). 



