. The birds of Washington : a complete, scientific and popular account of the 372 species of birds found in the state . or horse-hair, and tragedies of Orioleshanged at their own doorstep are of record. The eggs of this species, four to six in number, are usually of a palesmoky gray color, and upon this ground appear curious and intricate scrawl-ings of purplish black, as tho- made by a fine pen, held unsteadily while theegg was twirled. The purpose of this bizarre ornamentation, if indeed ithas any, may be thought tO appear where scanty coils of black horse-hair inthe lining of the nest show
. The birds of Washington : a complete, scientific and popular account of the 372 species of birds found in the state . or horse-hair, and tragedies of Orioleshanged at their own doorstep are of record. The eggs of this species, four to six in number, are usually of a palesmoky gray color, and upon this ground appear curious and intricate scrawl-ings of purplish black, as tho- made by a fine pen, held unsteadily while theegg was twirled. The purpose of this bizarre ornamentation, if indeed ithas any, may be thought tO appear where scanty coils of black horse-hair inthe lining of the nest show up in high relief against the normal white back- Taken near Spokane. Photo by F. S. Merrill. BULLOCK ORIOLE. 52 THE BULLOCK ORIOLE. ground nf vegetable felt. I can testify that under these circumstances theeggs are sometimes indistinguishable at trrst glance from their value nf the pouch-shaped nest is less clear than in the case of theBaltimore ()riiile, whose home is the pendant branch of the elm tree; for thenest of the Rullnck Oriole is often attached to stock\ ])ranclies, pines e\en,. : ill noiighs Cninity. SITIC OI THE ORIOLE. Photo by tin- Author. which \ ield little in the wind. Nor is there an\ such olnious attempt in thecase of this bird to escape enemies by ]3lacing the eggs out of reach. TheMagpie would search Sheol for a maggot, and an\ effort toi Ijest him wouldbankrupt the longest purse. Tired of the continemeiU ijf the nest, the ambitious fledgelings clanibeiup the sides and perch u])on the brim. From this less secure position thevare not infrequently dislodged before they are (piite ready to face the years ago a friend of mine, Mr. Chas. W. Robinson, of Chelan, secureda fledgeling Oriole which he rescued from the water of the lake where it hadevidently just fallen from an overhanging nest. When taken home it proveda read\ pet. and was given the freedom of the ])lace. Some two weekslater my friend resc
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