ORIOLE. 101 



The female is less, all over brown ; pale ash beneath, chin nearly 

 white. 



Young birds have pale bills and legs, the plumage brown, and 

 the margins of the feathers paler reddish brown ; chin, and middle 

 of the belly white; under the eye an obscure dusky narrow streak, 

 which bounds the white on the chin ; just within the bend of the wing 

 an oval dusky patch. 



Inhabits America. — I am obliged for the above account to Mr. 

 Abbot, of Georgia, who gives reason to suppose, that they vary 

 greatly in different periods of age. They frequent places where rice 

 grows, fly in flocks, both sexes generally together,* but are less 

 common about Savannah, his place of residence, than in many 

 others. 



I find from the Amer. Orn. that the length sometimes reaches to 

 nine inches ; that the young birds are altogether brown for a month 

 or more ; bare of feathers round the eye and mouth ; breast spotted 

 as in the Thrush, with light drab, and darker streaks : in two months 

 after leaving the nest, the black begins at the shoulders, and gradually 

 increases along each side, till the bird appears mottled on the back 

 and breast, with deep black and light drab : at three months the 

 colours are complete, and, except in moulting time, does not change 

 colour : appears in Pennsylvania the end of March, or beginning of 

 April, and departs in October ; called Cow Blackbird, Cowpen Bird, 

 and Black Rice Bird. The female has the habit of laying her eggs 

 in the nests of other birds, in the manner of the Cuckow, particu- 

 larly in those of the Red-eyed Fly-catcher, Maryland Yellow-throat, 

 Blue Bird, Chipping Sparrow, Golden-crowned Thrush, Yellow Bird, 

 White-eyed and Small Grey Fly-catcher, and others ; but the two 

 first mentioned seem to be the favourite places of deposit. The bird 

 lays but one egg in each nest; it is larger than that of the Blue 

 Bird, dirty white, thickly sprinkled or granulated with pale brown ; 



* Mr. Wilson observes, that nothing like pairing, as in other birds, is discovered. 



