TROOPIALS— ORIOLES— CASSIQUES— THE MOCKING-BIRD. 649 



rises to a higher intelligence. First, he binds together, by means of bits of straw, the 

 small and flexible branches of the willow, and thus forms a kind of conical basket in 

 which he places his nest, and instead of the usual hemispherical form, he gives it a more 

 elongated shape, and makes it of a looser tissue, so as to render it more elastic and bet- 

 ter able to conform to the movements of the branches when agitated by the wind. 



The neat little black and orange Baltimore Oriole {Icterus Baltimore) constructs a 

 still more marvellous nest on the tulip trees, on whose leaves and flowers he seeks the 

 caterpillars and beetles which constitute his principal food. When the time comes for 

 preparing it, the male picks up a filament of the Tillandsia usneoides and attaches it 

 by its two extremities to two neighboring branches. Soon after, the female comes, 

 inspects his work, and places another fibre across that of her companion. Thus by 

 their alternate labors a net is formed, which soon assumes the shape of a nest, and as 

 it advances towards its completion, the aflfection of the tender couple seems to increase. 

 The tissue is so loose as to allow the air to pass through its meshes, and as the parents 

 know that the excessive heat of summer would incommode their young, they suspend 

 their nest so as to catch the cooler breeze of the north-east when breeding in Louisi- 

 ana ; while in more temperate regions, such as Pennsylvania and New York, they 

 always give it a southern exposure, and take care to line it with wool or cotton. Their 

 movements are uncommonly graceful ; their song is sweet ; they migrate in winter 

 towards more southerly regions, Mexico or Brazil, and return after the equinox to the 

 United States. 



The Cassiques, which are nearly related to the troopials or orioles, are no less remark- 

 able for their architectural skill. They suspend their large pendulous nests, which are 

 often above four feet long, at the extremities of branches of palm trees, as far as pos- 

 sible from all enemies that might by climbing reach the brood, often choosing, for still 

 further protection, trees on which the wasps or maribondas have already built their nests, 

 as these are adversaries whose sharp stings no tiger-cat or reptile would desire to face. 

 The nest of the Cassicus cristatus is artificially woven of lichens, bark-fibres, and the 

 filaments of the tillandsias, while that of the Tupuba {Cassicus ruber), which is 

 always suspended over the water, consists of dry grasses, and has a slanting opening 

 in the side, so that no rain can penetrate it. On passing under a tree, which often 

 contains hundreds of cassique nests, one cannot help stopping to admire thom, as they 

 wave to and fro, the sport of every storm and breeze, and yet so well constructed as 

 rarely to be injured by the wind. Often numbers of one species may be seen weaving 

 their nests on one side of a tree, while numbers of another species are busy forming 

 theirs on the opposite side of the same plant ; and what is, perhaps, even still more 

 wonderful than their architectural skill, though such near neighbors, the females are 

 never observed to quarrel ! 



The Cassicus persicus., a small black and yellow bird, somewhat larger than the 

 starling, has been named the Mocking-Bird, from his wonderful imitative powers. He 

 courts the society of man, and generally takes his station on a tree close to his house, 

 where for hours together he pours forth a succession of ever-varying notes. If a 

 toucan be yelping in the neighborhood, he immediately drops his own sweet song, and 

 answers him in equal strain. Then he will amuse his audience with the cries of the 

 different species of the woodpecker, and when the sheep bleat he will distinctly answer 

 them. Then comes his own song again, and if a puppy dog or a guinea fowl interrupt 



