BALTIMORE ORIOLE. 
143 
HABITS. 
When the warm, reviving breath of the south wind has caused the cherry trees of 
New England to put forth their blossoms, the first notes of the Baltimore Orioles are heard. 
I do not think I ever knew a single season to pass when these lovely birds did not appear 
promptly as soon as the cherry trees were in bloom, for they are extremely fond of fre¬ 
quenting them in order to feed on the insects which infest them at this season. As they 
swing gracefully from the topmost boughs, their brilliant plumage forms a fine contrast 
with the snowy flowers which surround them, while at intervals tha perfumed air is filled 
with bursts of that clear, ringing melody which is always a sure indication that summer 
has fairly come. Later the dark-green foliage on the lofty branches of the grand old elms 
which beautify so many of our streets is enlivened by their presence. Indeed of all the 
ornamental trees which are to be found in villages, the elm appears to be the prime favor¬ 
ite with the Orioles for these birds seldom occur far from dwellings when their chosen 
trees stand in the immediate vicinity of them. In some portions- of Pennsylvania, howev¬ 
er, where but little attention is paid to planting trees about the houses, they almost always 
inhabit small groves, seeming to prefer the lofty trees in the immediate neighborhood of 
water. 
The Susquehanna River at Williamsport is some three hundred and fifty yards in width 
and is filled with numerous small, wooded islands upon which the Baltimore Orioles abound, 
in fact I never saw them more abundant in any given locality. It was here that I first 
obtained the specimen with the peculiar yellow plumage of which I have spoken, but these 
only occurred at one particular point on the River, all of the other birds being in normal 
dress. This was about the middle of May when they were migrating, which would partly 
account for the large numbers that had congregated together, but later when they were 
nesting, they were still numerous, proving that it was an attractive place for them. The 
birds which remained there were remarkable on account of having a peculiar song that 
consisted of several short, though sweet, notes repeated rapidly. The effect, however, 
was very pleasing, but I was much surprised to find that the females sang nearly as well 
as the males. It is a fact that no two birds even of the same species sing exactly alike 
although the difference is oftentimes so very slight that it is extremely difficult to detect, 
but I know of very few, if any, among our native birds where there is so much individual 
variation in the song as in that of the Baltimore Orioles. It is also noticeable that the 
peculiar lay of some individuals is frequently inherited by their offspring. Thus I know of 
several places where all the Orioles utter notes which are similar but which I never heard 
elsewhere. But a particular song is not always imparted by the parent to its descendants; 
for example, one of the finest singers that I ever heard was an Oriole that built for several 
years in an huge pear tree which stands back of my place in Newtonville. This bird be¬ 
sides having a variety of clear, liquid notes which were perfectly enchanting, frequently 
uttered a series of loud whistles which sounded almost exactly like those given by the 
Great-crested Flycatcher, yet I never heard any other Oriole attempt anything like them. 
The melody of the Baltimore Orioles, although so varied that it is simply indescribable, 
has a singular clear richness of tone which renders it unmistakable whenever heard. Their 
