ICTEKI D.®. BIRDS. ICTERIDa:. cxlix 
SCOTT’S ORIOLE (/. parisormn ). — 'This is anotlier 
souLlieni species, not mentioned by Wilson or Audu- 
bon, but described by Bonaparte. It inhabits the 
valley of the Itio Grande and Guatemala. In Texas 
it is found on the Pecos. 
ORCHARD ORIOLE (/. spurius ). — In the soutliern 
l)ortion 3 of New England this bird is a summer visi- 
tor, but is rare in most other parts of that section. 
In the Middle States it is more common than Llie 
Baltimore Oriole. Unlike the Baltimore Oriole, it 
builds its nest on the branches, and not beneath 
them, in a pensile manner. Nuttall describes the 
Orchard Oriole as an exceedingly active, sprightly 
and restless bii'd ; in the same instant almost he is 
1)11 the gi'ound after some fallen insect, fluttering' 
amidst the foliage of the trees, prying and springing 
after his lurking prey, or flying and tuning his lively 
notes in a manner so huiried, rapid and seemingly 
confused, that the ear is scarce able to thread out 
the shrill and lively syllables of his agitated dil.ty. 
Between these hurried attempts he also gives others, 
which are distinct and agreeable, but still his tones 
are neither so full nor so mellow as those of the 
brilliant and gay Baltimore, According to Audubon, 
they sing with great liveliness in cages, being fed on 
rice and dry fruits, when fresh cannot be procured. 
Their ordinary diet is caterjiillars and other insects, 
of which they destroy great quantities. Of the nest 
of this bird, Wood says: “It is truly a wonderful 
structure, woven into a bug or purse-like shape from 
long grasses, almost as if it. had been fashioned in a 
loom, and so firmly constructed that it will withstand 
no small amount of rough treatment before it gives 
way. In one of these purse-like nests now lying 
before me, i find that the bird often employs two 
and sometimes three threads simultaneously, and 
that several of these double threads pass over the 
branch to which the nest is hung, and are then 
carried to the very l)ottom of the purse, so as to 
su|)port the structure in t.he firmest possible manner. 
'J’he entrance is from above, and near the mouth.” 
Wilson says he had the cuiiosity to detach one of 
the fibres or stalks of grass which form thp nest, and 
found it to measure thirteen inches in length, and, in 
that distance, was thirty-four t.imes hooked through 
and returned, winding round and round the nest. 
Speaking of his services to the farmer, he says : “ He 
visits us at a time when his services are of the great- 
est value, and, like a failhfid guardian, takes up his 
station wliere the enemy is most to be expected : 
he ought to be held in respectful esteem, and pro- 
tected by every considerate husbandman.” Nor is 
the gayety of iiis song one of his least recommemhi- 
tions. Being an extremely active bird, he is on the 
ground, on the trees, flying and carolling in his 
hurried manner, in almost one and the same instant. 
Ills notes are shrill and lively, but uttered with such 
i'upidity and seeming confusion that the ear is unable 
to follow them distinctly. Between these he has a 
single note, which is agreeable and interesting. 
Audubon says of him : •* No sooner have they reached 
that portion of country in which they intend to re- 
main during the time of raising their young, than 
the birds exhibit all the liveliness and vivacity be- 
longing to their nature. 'The male is seen rising in 
the air from ten to twenty yards in a violent mannei', 
jerking his tail and body, flapping his wings, and 
singing with remarkalde impetuosity, as if under the 
influence of haste, and anxious to leturn to the tree 
from which he has departed. He accordingly de- 
scends, with the same motions of the body and tail, 
repeating his pleasing song as lie alights. 'I'hese 
gambols and warblings are performed frequently 
during the day, the intervals being employed in as- 
cending and descending along the branches and 
twigs of different trees, in search of insects. In 
doing this they rise on their legs, seldom without 
jerking the tail, stretch the neck, seize the prey, and 
emit a single note, which is sweet and mellow, al- 
though in power much inferior to that of the Balti- 
more.” 'J'lie range of this species is from the Atlantic 
to the high central plains, and probably through 
Texas, south to Guatemala. 
BALTIMORE ORIOLE (/. 'baltimore)^Vh\ie lY, 
fig. iv. — This well-known and elegant bird is abun- 
dant in New Jingland during the summer, and is 
distributed thi'oughout the whole of North America, 
extending to .Mexico, and south as far as Brazil. 
In New JUigiand it is known as the Golden Robin, 
and elsewhere as Eire-bird, llang-nest, etc. “ 'I'here 
is nothing more remarkable,” says Nuttall, “in the 
whole instinct of our Golden Robin than the inge- 
nuity displayed in the fabrication of its nest, which 
is, in fact, a pendulous cylindrical pouch of five to 
seven inches in depth, usually suspended from near 
the extremities of the high drooping branches of 
trees, such as the elm, the pear, etc. ft is begun by 
firmly fastening natural strings of the flax of the silk 
weed or swamp hollyhock, or stout, artificial threads, 
around two or more forked twigs, corresponding to 
the intended width and depth of the nest. With the 
same materials, willow down, or any accidental ravel- 
lings, strings, thread, sewing-silk, thread or wool 
that may be lying near the house or around grafts of 
trees, they interweave and fabricate a sort of coarse 
cloth into the form intended, toward tin; bottom of 
which they phice the real nest, made chiefly of lint, 
wii'y grass, horse and cow hair; sometimes, in defect 
of hair, lining the interior with a mixture of slender 
strips of smooth vine-bark, and rarely with a few 
feathers, the whole being of a considerable thickness, 
and more or less attached to the external pouch. 
Over the top, the leaves, as they grow out, form a 
verdant and agreeable canopy, defending the young 
from the sun and rain. There is sometimes a con- 
siderable difference in the manufacture of these 
nests, as well as in the matei'iiils which enter into 
their composition. Both se.xes seem to be equally 
adepts at this sort of labor, and I have seen the 
female alone perforin the whole without any assis- 
tance, and the male also neai ly conqilete this labori- 
ous task without the aid of his consort, who, how- 
ever, in general, is the principal worker.” “The 
song of the Baltimore-bird,” says Wilson, “ is a clear, 
mellow whistle, repeated at short intervals, as he 
gleans among the branches. There is in it a certain 
