THE MUSEUM. 
3 
A more remarkable nest of this oriole was found built upon a few small branches 
of a maple, at an elevation of nearly thirty feet from the ground. It is a double affair, 
composed of long, flexible grasses, and securely fastened to its support. The larger 
nest is inversely sub-conical, while the smaller, which is joined to the other by ribbons 
of grass, is somewhat similarly shaped, but less compact in structure. A circular open¬ 
ing, one inch in diameter, is a noticeable feature of the latter. That this additional 
structure served some purpose cannot be questioned. I am inclined to think that it was 
constructed with the view of accommodating either parent while the other was sitting. 
The aperture alluded to served, doubtless, for the head of the non-sitting bird, who, 
from this position, looking away from the main building, could, like a sentry upon an 
outpost,- detect with comparative ease and readiness the approach of enemies. The cut 
gives a fair idea of the nest in its most prominent details. 
But nothing can exceed in beauty and cosiness the nest of a female Baltimore 
oriole in my possession. It was built under peculiar circumstances, the author being a 
prisoner, having been taken from the parental home when quite a fledgeling. A male 
companion was captured at or about the same time. These birds are the property of 
Dr. Detwiler, of Easton, Pa., and are a source of pleasure to this elderly gentleman in 
his leisure moments. Though becoming quite tame under the careful and kindly man¬ 
agement of their keeper, the female manifesting greater familiarity than her associate, it 
never occurred to the Doctor that either would become so accustomed to the situation 
