ORCHARD ORIOLE. 
187 
Among’ all these authors Catesby is doubtless the 
most inexcusable, having- lived for several years in 
America, where he had an opportunity of being more 
correct : yet, when it is considered, that the female of 
this bird is so much shyer than the male, that it is seldom 
seen ; and that, while the males are flying around and 
bewailing an approach to their nest, the females keep 
aloof, watching every movement of the enemy in rest- 
less but silent anxiety; it is less to be wondered at, I 
say, that two birds of the same kind, but different in 
plumage, making their appearance together at such 
times, should be taken for male and female of the same 
nest, without doubt or examination, as, from that strong 
sympathy for each other’s distress which prevails so 
universally among them at this season, it is difficult 
sometimes to distinguish between the sufferer and the 
sympathizing neighbour. 
The female of the orchard oriole is six inches and a 
half in length, and eleven inches in extent, the colour 
above is a yellow olive, inclining to a brownish tint on 
the back; the wings are dusky brown, lesser wing- 
coverts tipt with yellowish white, greater coverts and 
secondaries exteriorly edged with the same, primaries 
slightly so ; tail, rounded at the extremity, the two 
exterior feathers three quarters of an inch shorter than 
the middle ones ; whole lower parts, yellow ; bill and 
legs, light blue; the former bent a little, very sharp 
pointed, and black towards the extremity ; iris of the 
eye, hazel ; pupil, black. The young male of the first 
season corresponds nearly with the above description. 
But in the succeeding spring he makes his appearance 
with a large patch of black marking the front, lores, 
and throat. In this stage, too, the black sometimes 
makes its appearance on the two middle feathers of the 
tail ; and slight stains of reddish are seen commencing 
on the sides and belly. The rest of the plumage as in 
the female : this continuing nearly the same, on the 
same bird, during the remainder of the season. At the 
same time, other individuals are found, which are at 
least birds of the third summer. These are mottled 
