112 
OUR HOME BIRDS. 
On wings of love the assiduous nurses fly ; 
Flowers, leaves, and boughs abundant food supply : 
Glad chants their guardian as abroad he goes, 
And waving breezes rock them to repose/ 
“ The loud, animated notes of the Baltimore oriole 
are first heard in this region in the early part of 
May, and have been compared to a very loud whistle, 
which may be heard at a great distance, but in rich- 
ness equalling the flute-stop of a fine-toned organ. 
Sometimes he imitates other birds who have similar 
voices, and sometimes, for days together, he is busy 
with a single strain. Occasionally he sings on the 
wing, but he is usually at work while singing, as 
though the main business of life with him were to 
pick up a living. He never seems to give the whole 
of his mind to singing, like other birds, but carefully 
searches every leaf and twig about him all the while 
for unwary flies and beetles. He is particularly fond 
of glossy green ones, and his clear, mellow whistle is 
repeated at short intervals as he gleans among the 
branches. When alarmed by an approach to his nest 
he makes a kind of rapid chirping, very different from 
his usual note. 
“ Here is a story of an oriole that became very 
much attached to its mistress. ‘ This bird/ says the 
lady, ‘ I took from the nest when very young, with 
three others, but being unskilled in taking care of 
