68 



ORCHARD ORIOLE 



an opportunity of being more correct; yet when it is considered^ 

 that the female of this bird is so much shyer than the male, that it 

 is seldom seen ; and that while the males are flying around and be- 

 wailing an approach to their nest, the females keep aloof, watching 

 every movement of the enemy in restless but silent anxiety ; it is 

 less to be wondered at, I say, that two birds of the same kind but 

 different in plumage, making their appearance together at such 

 times, should be taken for male and female of the same nest, with- 

 out doubt or examination, as from that strong sympathy for each 

 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 color above is a yel- 

 low 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 exteriorly 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 corres- 

 ponds nearly with the above description. But in the succeeding 

 spring he makes his appearance with a large patch of black mark- 

 ing 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 indi- 

 viduals 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 



