68 ORCHARD ORIOLE. 



other's distress which prevails so universally among them at 

 this season, it is difficult sometimes to distinguish between 

 the sufferer and the sympathising neighbour. 



The female of the orchard oriole, fig. 1, is six inches and 

 a half in length, and eleven inches in extent ; the colour 

 above is a yellow olive, inclining to a brownish tint on the 

 back ; the wings are dusky brown, lesser wing-coverts tipt 

 with yellowish white, greater coverts and secondaries ex- 

 teriorly edged with the same, primaries slightly so ; tail, 

 rounded at the extremity, the two exterior feathers three 

 quarters of an inch shorter than the middle ones ; whole 

 lower parts, yellow ; bill and legs, light blue ; the former 

 bent a little, very sharp pointed, and black towards the 

 extremity ; iris of the eye, hazel ; pupil, black. The young 

 male of the first season corresponds nearly with the above 

 description. But in the succeeding spring he makes his 

 appearance with a large patch of black marking the front, 

 lores, and throat, as represented in fig. 2. In this stage, too, 

 the black sometimes makes its appearance on the two middle 

 feathers of the tail ; and slight stains of reddish are seen 

 commencing on the sides and belly. The rest of the plumage 

 as in the female : this continuing nearly the same, on the 

 same bird, during the remainder of the season. At the same 

 time, other individuals are found, as represented by fig. 3, 

 which are at least birds of the third summer. These are 

 mottled with black and olive on the upper parts of the 

 back, and with reddish bay and yellow on the belly, sides, 

 and vent, scattered in the most irregular manner, not alike 

 in any two individuals ; and, generally, the two middle 

 feathers of the tail are black, and the others centred with the 

 same colour. This bird is now evidently approaching to its per- 

 fect plumage, as represented in fig. 4, where the black spreads 

 over the whole head, neck, upper part of the back, breast, 

 wings, and tail ; the reddish bay, or bright chestnut, occupy- 

 ing the lower part of the breast, the belly, vent, rump, tail- 

 coverts, and three lower rows of the lesser wing-coverts. The 



