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The Singing of Birds. B.P.Bicknell. 
Icterus galbula. Baltimore Oriole. 
It would almost seem as if the Baltimore Oriole timed its advent 
by the blossoming of the fruit trees. At all events, the blossoms 
and the Orioles usually come together. And when the cherry and 
apples trees wear their full spring array the bright birds are in 
high spirits, gaily flashing from one tree to another, and sounding 
forth their golden-toned trumpets from the fragrant clouds of 
white bloom, amid which they spend many an hour while the 
blossoms remain. And when it may, much of its time is also 
passed with a splendid foreign cousin of these trees, the Japan 
quince,— that brilliant flowering shrub that flames about lawns 
and gardens in early May, and that finds a rival brightness when 
the hire-bird busies itself among its scarlet blossoms. 
On theii arrival these Orioles are particularly vivacious and 
noisy, and though their spirits appear soon to subside they con- 
tinue in full note. But through most of July they are feeble- 
voiced and often silent. There is, however, no strict silent-period, 
for in some summers they are less quiet than in others, and even 
when most reticent they seem unable to restrain occasional 
impel feet song-notes. But the lapse of song in mid-summer un- 
doubtedly points to an illy-defined silent-period, for full song is 
resumed in August. In the latter month, chiefly in its third 
quaitei, their notes are frequent in the early morning and become 
as full-toned as in spring, at times seeming to be more extended, 
even as the bird’s plumage is brighter. Still, at this season a 
few simple notes is a more usual expression than the full song. 
The latter I hear last in August, from the 5th to 27th. The 
simpler notes have always closed my record of the presence of 
the bird — August 19 to September 6. 
Mr. William Brewster gives me the following notes on the 
Baltimore Oriole as observed at Cambridge, Mass. : — 
Through late July and early August they are silent and retir- 
mg, but with the first cool mornings, generally about August 20, 
the male begins singing again and flashes in and out among the 
leaves with all the vivacity of June. His plumage now is even 
brighter than in spring. At this season he sings only in the 
early morning.” Atlk( 2 , j u l yi 1885. p. 2 5 ~/ - 2 6 ~ 2 . 
Baltimore Oriole, ( Icterus galbgla.) I 
know of a dozen families in this vicinity 
who call this bird “Switch him.” There 
is perhaps little satisfaction in trying to 
express bird-notes in syllables, yet the fol- 
lowing can be made to sound very much 
like the Oriole’s song note : “ Switch ’im, 
switch ’im, pea-pum per pea-up, pea-up,” 
with the “pea up” sometimes repeated sev- 
eral times. 
I should really enjoy hearing some of 
the readers of the “ 0. and O. practice 
this exercise. It won’t sound familiar un- 
less you throw as much energy into its 
expression as the bird does. 
y r !A 
/trAusl OMArt. 
O.&o. IX. Aug. 1884 . p. tW- 
