Species II. ORIOLUS MUTATUS* 
ORCHARD ORIOLE. 
[Plate IV.] 
Bastard Baltimore, Catesby, i., 49. — Le Baltimore batard, Buffon, hi., 233, PL 
Enl. 506. — Oriolas spurius, Gmel. Syst. i., p. 389. — Lath. Syn. ii., p. 433, 20, p. 
437, 24.— Bartram, p. 290. 
There arc no circumstances, relating to birds, which tend so much 
to render their history obscure and perplexing, as the various changes 
of color which many of them undergo. These changes are in some 
cases periodical, in others progressive ; and are frequently so extraor- 
dinary, that, unless the naturalist has resided for years in the country 
where the birds inhabit, and has examined them at almost every season, 
he is extremely liable to be mistaken and imposed on by their novel ap- 
pearance. Numerous instances of this kind might be cited, from the 
pages of European writers, in which the same bird has been described 
two, three, and even four different times, by the same person ; and each 
time as a different kind. The species v/e are now about to examine is a 
remarkable example of this ; and as it has never to my knowledge been 
either accurately figured or described, I have devoted one plate to the 
elucidation of its history. 
The Count de Buffon, in introducing what he supposed to be the male 
of this bird, but which appears evidently to have been the female of the 
Baltimore Oriole, makes the following observations, which I give in the 
words of his translator: "This bird is so called (Spurious Baltimore,) 
because the colors of its plumage are not so lively as in the preceding 
(Baltimore 0.) In fact, when we compare these birds, and find an 
exact correspondence in everything except the colors, and not even in 
the distribution of these, but only in the different tints they assume, we 
cannot hesitate to infer, that the Spurious Baltimore is a variety of a 
more generous race, degenerated by the influence of climate, or some 
other accidental cause." 
* 0. Sjiurins, Linn., which name must be adopted. Icterus minor spurins, Briss. 
II., Ill, pi. 10, fig. "^.—Carovrje de Cayenne, Buff. PI. Enl. 607, fig. 1, (adult male.) 
Caroiige du Cap de bonne Espdrance, Buff. PI. Enl. 607, fig. 2, (female.) Merle d 
gorge noire de St. Doniingue, Buff. PI. Enl. 559, (young male.) 
(147) 
