296 FEMALE BALTIMORE ORIOLE. 



sentation of the female, drawn of half the size of nature, a few 

 particulars may be added. The males generally arrive several 

 days before the females, saunter about their wonted places of 

 residence, and seem lonely, and less sprightly than after the 

 arrival of their mates. In the spring and summer of 1811, a 

 baltimore took up its abode in Mr Bartram's garden, whose 

 notes were so singular as particularly to attract my attention ; 

 they were as well known to me as the voice of my most 

 intimate friend. On the 30th of April 1812, 1 was again sur- 

 prised and pleased at hearing this same baltimore in the 

 garden, whistling his identical old chant ; and I observed that 

 he particularly frequented that quarter of the garden where 

 the tree stood, on the pendant branches of which he had 

 formed his nest the preceding year. This nest had been 

 taken possession of by the house wren, a few days after the 

 baltimore 's brood had abandoned it ; and, curious to know 

 how the little intruder had furnished it within, I had taken it 

 down early in the fall, after the wren herself bad also raised ji 

 brood of six young in it, and which was her second that season. 

 I found it stript of its original lining, floored with sticks or 

 small twigs, above which were laid feathers ; so that the usual 

 complete nest of the wren occupied the interior of that of the 

 baltimore. 



The chief difference between the male and female baltimore 

 oriole is the superior brightness of the orange colour of the 

 former to that of the latter. The black on the head, upper 

 part of the back, and throat of the female, is intermixed with 

 dull orange ; whereas, in the male, tbose parts are of a deep 

 shining black ; the tail of the female also wants the greater 

 part of the black, and the whole lower parts are of a much 

 duskier orange. 



I have observed that these birds are rarely seen in pine 

 woods, or where tbese trees generally prevail. On the ridges 

 of our high mountains they are seldom to be met with. In 

 orchards and on well-cultivated farms they are most numerous, 

 generally preferring such places to build in, rather than the 

 woods or forest. 



