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The Singing of Birds. B.P.Bicknell. 
Icterus spurius. Orchard Oriole. 
We are never long left unaware of the advent among us of 
this active bird, for its rapid rollicking song bears a signal part 
in the repletion of bird voices which fill the morning hours in the 
early days of May. True to its tropical traditions it fairly revels 
in the hottest weather, and it maybe heard singing with unabated 
hilarity all through those excessively hot days that often come 
suddenly upon us at the end of May or early in June. 
The immature male, in the yellowish, black-throated plumage, 
sings as enthusiastically as his more richly attired compeeis, and 
is often noisy with the earliest, arrivals. 
Singing begins to decline in July, and my record usually closes 
shortly after the middle of the month, sometimes barely reaching 
that point. But, again, songs may be scattered sparingly along 
till August, and I have one record of imperfect song-notes from 
an adult male on August 1 1 . My record of latest songs is as 
follows: 1874, July 28; 1876, July 30; 1878, July 11, 17, 19* 
and imperfect song-notes August 11 ; 1880, July 11 and iS ; 1881, 
before the 17th ; 1882, July 25 ; 1883, July 18. Records of the 
singing of immaturely plumaged birds run to July 10. 
Auk, 2, JUly, 1886. p. 
