12 T HE, -A U- DOU BOON] B ULE resi 
The four to six eggs are white or gray, marked with dark scrawls, 
blotches, and fine lines of brown, black, and lavender. In the snug, deep 
nest, young orioles are safe from most of their enemies. Winds may swing 
the nest to and fro, but rarely blow it down. Young orioles hatch with their 
eyes tightly closed. They are tended largely by the female, while the male 
guards the nest. Nestling Baltimore Orioles are the cry-babies of the bird 
world, uttering all day long from the tree-tops a monotonous, incessant, 
tee-deedee. This cry is a sign that they are almost ready to leave the nest 
and have developed a food call which will enable the parents to find them 
later. Commonly there is but one brood a season. 
Baltimore Orioles are not only a joy to the eye, but they are the cotton 
grower’s best friend. Caterpillars form the largest item in this oriole’s 
bill of fare — 84%! The birds also feed upon other hairy larvae which 
few other birds will touch. The stomach contents of three birds taken in 
an Illinois orchard consisted of 40% of these pests, and 50% of an in- 
jurious leaf chafer. It is true that the bird enjoys green peas and some- 
times troubles the grape grower. However, the damage done by orioles can- 
not be very great, since there is so small a percentage of vegetable matter 
in their diet. They are among the most valuable of our insectivorous birds. 
The Baltimore Oriole breeds from Nova Scotia, Ontario, and Manitoba 
to northern Georgia, Louisiana, and southern Texas, but not on the south- 
east coastal plain. It winters in Central America. 
929 Brummel Street, Evanston, IIl. 
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SAVE THE DUNES! 
By RAYMOND MOSTEK 
THE SAVE THE DUNES Council of Indiana urges strong, immediate and 
vigorous support for the Douglas bill, S. 1797, which would make the last 
unoccupied three and one-half miles of Indiana. shoreline available to the 
public as a National Seashore Park. Hearings have already been held by 
the Sub-Committee of the Senate Interior Committee, headed by Senator 
Alan Bible. The bill would save over 9,000 acres of dunes and shoreline, 
including some parcels not included in earlier bills. 
Strong opposition still remains from Indiana officeholders, both Demo- 
cratic and Republican. Governor Matthew Welsh, Senators Homer Cape- 
hart and Vance Hartke still support the Burns Ditch Harbor project, 
which would benefit two steel mills at a cost to taxpayers of over $45 
million. Some Indiana Congressmen, like Rep. Ray Madden of Indiana, 
favor the bill, while others are waiting to find which way the wind blows. 
The Save the Dunes Council urges our members to do the following: 
1. Write a letter or telegram to Senator Everett Dirksen, Senate Office 
Building, Washington 25, D.C., giving at least two reasons why you feel 
the Indiana Dunes should be made a National Seashore Park. 
2. Express your opposition to building of a harbor for two private firms 
at public expense. 
3. Urge your friends in other states to do likewise. 
4. If you can, send a small contribution for legal fees, postage, and 
printing to Mrs. James Buell, President, Save the Dunes Council, Box 1111, 
Ogden Dunes, Portage, Indiana. 
