ORCIIAllD ORIOLE. 
183 
The chief difference betiveen the male and female 
Baltimore oriole is the superior brightness ot the 
orann-e colonr of the former to that of the latter. The 
Wack on the head, upper part of the back and throat ot 
the female, is intermixed with dull orange ; whereas, 
in the male, those parts arc of a deep shining black ; 
the tail of the female also wants the greater part of the 
'dark, and the whole lower parts are of a much duskier 
I S.ave observed, that these birds are rarely seen in 
pine woods, or where these trees generally prevail. 
On the ridn-es of our high mountains they are seldom 
to be met with. In orchards, and on well ciUtivated 
farms they are most numerous, generally preferring 
such places to build in, rather than the woods or forest. 
•12. icTimo-s srcitn's, bonapaiite.— oa/oxns jxtrrarra, wii.sov. 
OKCHAUD ORIOLE. 
"’iLsox, I’L. IV, no. I. female; fig. ii. male, two veaks 
OLD ; VIG. III. MALE, THREE YEARS OLD; FIG. IV. THE ADULT 
Male. — kdikburgh college museum. 
There are no circumstances, relating to birds, winch 
tend so much to render their history obscure and per- 
plexing, as the various changes of colour which many 
of them undergo. These changes are m some cases 
periodical; in others progressive; and mc freqiientlv 
so extraordinary, that, unless the naturalist has resided 
for years in the country where the brnds mhahit, and 
has examined them at almost every season he is 
extremely liable to be mistaken and imposed on by their 
novel apiiearance. Numerous iiiidances of this kind 
might he cited, from the page.s of European wntens, in 
ivhich the same bird has been described two, three, and 
even four different times, by the same person ; and each 
time a.s a different kind. The species we are now about 
to examine is a remarkable example of tnis | and it bas 
