The Bullock Oriole 



string. But, nothing daunted, the Oriole returned and climbed up and 

 down the fluttering sheet until she found it quite hopeless. Then she 

 fell upon the thread which held the two halves of the tarpaulin together. 

 This she pried and twisted and unthreaded until she had quite a respect- 

 able length loose. I thought she would have made off with it, but a 

 fracas among her own kind hard by dissuaded her for the moment, and 

 our appetites reasserted themselves. 



Little space remains to recount the wonder of the birds themselves. 

 They, or at least the males, are among the half dozen brightest of Cali- 

 fornia's birds; and they are, perhaps, more widely distributed than any 

 other of our "birds 

 of plumage." Act- 

 ive, industrious, and 

 not unconfiding 

 bodies they are too, 

 and a very im- 

 portant element in 

 the good cheer of 

 springtide. The 

 males arrive a week 

 or two in advance 

 of their mates, and 

 appear quite ill at 

 ease until joined by 

 their shy com- 

 panions. "Arrange- 

 ments" are, of 

 course, not com- 

 plete, and the 

 ardent courtships 

 which ensue are of interest to spectators as well as participants. Only a 

 moment ago I saw two males pursuing a female who evidently wished 

 very much to be excused from an immediate decision. One of the males 

 was a dull-colored young bird, and the other was a gorgeous old major in 

 full regimentals. The young fellow kept the lead and pursued his object 

 with dogged persistence; but the old fellow, wiser in the ways of women, 

 paused now and then to pour out his heart in song. My sympathies — a — 

 well — ahem — they used always to be with the young chap, but now — 

 Id aetatis jam sumus. 



The Bullock Oriole is either musical or noisy, but oftener both 

 together. Both sexes indulge a stirring rattle which seems to express 

 nearly every variety of emotion. Upon this the male grafts a musical 



Photo by Win. H. Wonfor 

 EGGS OF THE BULLOCK ORIOLE 



SELECTED SPECIMENS — SAND BACKGROUND 



I03 



