T 6 BALTIMORE ORIOLE. 



BALTIMORE ORIOLE. (Oriolus Baltimore.) 



PLATE I.— Fig. 3. 



Linn. Syst. i. p. 162, 10. — Icterus minor, Briss. ii. p. 109, 19. t. 12. fig. 1. — Le 

 Baltimore, Buff. iii. p. 231. PL enl. 506. fig. 1. — Baltimore Bird, Catesb. 

 Car. i. 48. — Arct. Zool. ii. p. 142. — Lath. Syn. ii. p. 432, 19. —Bartram, p. 

 290.— Peak's Museum, No. 1506. 



ICTERUS BALTIMORE.— Daudin. 



Yphantes Baltimore, Vieill. Gal. des Ois. pi. 87. — Icterus Baltimore, Bonap. 

 Syn. p. 51. — North. Zool. ii. p. 284. — Baltimore Oriole, pi. 12. and Orn, 

 Biog. p. 66. 



This is a bird of passage, arriving in Pennsylvania, from 

 the south, about the beginning of May, and departing towards 

 the latter end of August, or beginning of September.* From 

 the singularity of its colours, the construction of its nest, and 

 its preferring the apple trees, weeping willows, walnut and 

 tulip trees, adjoining the farmhouse, to build on, it is gene- 

 rally known, and, as usual, honoured with a variety of names, 

 such as hang- nest, hanging bird, golden robin, tire bird (from 

 the bright orange seen through the green leaves, resembling 

 a flash of fire), &c, but more generally the Baltimore bird, so 

 named, as Catesby informs us, from its colours, which are 

 black and orange, being those of the arms or livery of Lord 

 Baltimore, formerly proprietary of Maryland. 



The baltimore oriole is seven inches in length; bill, almost 

 straight, strong, tapering to a sharp point, black, and sometimes 

 lead coloured, 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 vermilion on the breast ; the 



* During migration, the flight of the baltimore is high above all the 

 trees, and is straight and continuous ; it is mostly performed during the 

 day, as I have usually observed them alighting, always singly, about 

 the setting of the sun, uttering a note or two, and darting into the lower 

 branches to feed, and afterwards to rest. — Audubon. — Ed. 



