88 



FEMALE BALTIMORE ORIOLE. 

 ORIOLUS BALTIMOBUS. 

 [Plate LIIL— Fig. 4.] 



Jlmer. Om. t. I, p. 2,3. 



i 



THE history of this beautiful species has been particularly 

 detailed in the first volume of the present work; to this represen- 

 tation of the female, drawn of half the size of nature, a few parti- 

 culars 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 thirtieth of 

 April, 1812, I was again surprised 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 pendent 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 Bal- 

 timore's brood had abandoned it; and curious to know how the 

 little nitruder had furnished it within, I had taken it down early in 

 the Fall after the Wren herself had also raised a 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. 



