16 
BALTIMORE ORIOLE. 
BALTIMORE ORIOLE. _ ORIOLUS BALTIMORE. 
Plate I. Fig. 3. 
Linn. Syst. i. p. 162, 10. — Icterus Minor, Briss. ii. p. 109, 19. t. 12. fig. 1. — 
Le Baltimore, Luff. iii. p. 231. Pl.-enl. 506. fig. 1. — Baltimore Bird, Catesb. Car. 
i. 48. — Arct. Zool. ii. p. 142. — Lath. Syn. ii. p. 432, 19. — Bartram , p. 290. — 
Beale's Musuem, No. 1506. 
ICTERUS BALTIMORE. — Daudin. 
Ypliantes Baltimore, Vieill. Gal. des Ois. pi. 87 — Icterus Baltimore, Bonap. Syn. 
p. 51 North. Zool. ii. p. 284.. — Baltimore Oriole, pi. 12. and Orn. Biog. p. 66. 
This is a bird of passage, arriving in Pennsylvania, from 
the south, about the beginning of May, and departing towards 
the latter end of August, or beginning of September.* From 
the singularity of its colours, the construction of its nest, and 
its preferring the apple trees, weeping willows, walnut and 
tulip trees, adjoining the farm-house, to build on, it is gene- 
rally known, and, as usual, honoured with a variety of names, 
such as hang-nest, hanging-bird, golden robin, fire bird, (from 
the bright orange seen through the green leaves, resembling 
a flash of fire,) &c. but more generally the Baltimore bird, so 
named, as Catesby informs us, from its colours, which are 
black and orange, being those of the arms or livery of Lord 
Baltimore, formerly proprietary of Maryland. 
The baltimore oriole is seven inches, in length ; bill, almost 
straight, strong, tapering to a sharp point, black, and sometimes 
lead coloured, above, the lower mandible light blue towards 
the base. Head, throat, upper part of the back and wings, 
black ; lower part of the back, rump, and whole under parts, 
* During migration, the flight of the baltimore is high above all the trees, 
and is straight and continuous ; it is mostly performed during the day, as I 
have usually observed them alighting, always singly, about the setting of the 
sun, uttering a note or two, and darting into the lower branches to feed, and 
afterwards to rest. — Audubon. — Ed. 
