150 
ORCHARD ORIOLE. 
of being more correct ; yet when it is considered, that the female of thia 
bird is so much shyer than the male, that it is seldom seen ; and that 
■while the males are flying around and bewailing 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 appeai'- 
ance together at such times, should be taken for male and female of the 
same nest, without 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 suff'erer 
and the sympathizing neighbor. 
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 yellow olive, 
inclining to a brownish tint on the back ; the wings are dusky brown, 
lesser wing-coverts tipped with yellowish Avhite, 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 corresponds nearly with the above description. 
But in the succeeding spring, he makes his appearance with a large 
patch of black marking 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 individuals 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 the belly, sides and vent, scattered 
in the most irregular manner, not alike in any two individuals ; and 
generally the two middle feathers of the tail are black, and the others 
centred with the same color. This bird is now evidently approaching to 
its perfect plumage, as represented in fig. 4, where the black sj^reads 
over the whole head, neck, upper part of the back, breast, wings and 
tail, the reddish bay or bright chestnut occupying the lower part of the 
breast, the belly, vent, rump, tail-coverts, and three lower rows of the 
lesser wing-coverts. The black on the head is deep and velvety ; that 
of the wings inclining to brown ; the greater wing-coverts are tipped 
with white. In the same orchard, and at the same time, males in each 
of these states of plumage may be found, united to their respective 
plain-colored mates. 
In all these the manners, mode of building, food and notes are, gen- 
