If the situation is protected from birds of prey, the nest is made quite open at the top; but if it is in a Wild and remote region, the structure is more bottle-shaped, with a small opening, which completely hides the sitting bird This accounts for the great variation in the form of nests found in different localities.
The Oriole is a beneficent garden guest; his food is largely insectivorous, and he not only eats worms and grubs, but also strips cocoons of their latent mischief; so we will not begrudge him a few cherries for dessert.
He is a quick-witted bird, and a good neighbour to his fellows. Many instances of his power of thinking have come under my eyes, but none more forcible than an epi- sode of last season. In June I was sitting under the trees, watching the evolutions of a pair of Redstarts, when a vio- lent commotion in the shrubbery attracted me. Catbirds were screaming lustily, and Robins, \Vrens, and Sparrows collected at the call in a body, while a gorgeous Oriole shot through the trees, close above my head. The cause of the nunpus was a chipmunk, who had dragged a young Catbird from the nest by the leg (for this little pest steals birds as well as eggs, though I have never seen them eat a bird). The troop of birds succeeded in frightening away the intruder, and I returned to my hammock, thinking no more of it. Not so with the Oriole. He silently watched the chipmunk, who sat chattering in a pine. Several min- utes passed, and then the chipmunk ran out in full view on along bough. Quick as a. flash the Oriole darted at him, and pierced the poppy eyes with his slender beak, in rapid succession. The unfortunate chipmunk fell to the ground, and was put out of misery, while the Oriole flew 011' as if nothing unusual had happened, and was soon swinging and singing in the elm again, the type of summer fervour. Un- like many highly coloured birds, he retains his brilliancy after moulting, and also has a second period of song, which lasts from August until early September, when he leaves us.
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