Show f ONE OF MOST OST OST ATTRACTIVE OF OUR OUR B BIRDS R DI s I c t I 1 I s I e 1 p t f Baltimore Oriole Oriole Brilliant Brilliant Orange and Black With White Edgings Prepared try liy the the United Stat States s Dep Depart Department rt- rt ment of Agriculture The oriole oriol is one of f t the most attractive at attractive at at- of American American birds Both the Baltimore and Bullock varieties are described inthe in the the United States depart department de- de part n nt of agricultures agriculture's agricultures Farmers Farmers' Farm rs' rs Bulletin No entitled Some C Com Common m- m mon men Birds Useful to the Farmer Brilliancy of plumage sweetness of song Bong and food habits to which n no exception ex ez caption can be taken are some of the striking characteristics of the Baltimore Baltimore Balti more ore oriole In summer It is found throughout the northern half of the United States east of the Great Plains Its Ira ts nest commands hardly less admiration t admira- tion Ion than the beauty of its plumage orthe or orthe the he excellence of its song sang Hanging from Prom the tip of the outermost bough of a stately elm It is fa almost inaccessible inaccessible sible sable to and so strongly fastened as to bid defiance to the ele ele- ments menu Observation both in the field and laboratory shows that caterpillars constitute con con- statute the largest item of the fare of the oriole The other insects consist of beetles bugs ants wasps grasshoppers grasshoppers grass- grass hoppers loppers and some som spiders The beetles are principally click beetles the larvae of which are among the most destructive insects known and the he bugs include plant and bark lice both joth very harmful but so small and obscure as to be passed over over unnoticed unnoticed unnoticed unno unno- by most birds Ants are eaten mostly In spring grasshoppers in July and August and wasps and spiders with considerable regularity throughout through through- out the season During the stay of the oriole in the United States vegetable matter amounts to only a little more than 16 per cent of its food so that the pos pos- possibility possibility of or its doing much damage to crops crop's is very limited The bir bird is accused accused ac ac- of oi eating peas to a considerable extent but remains of such were found in only two cases One writer says that it damages grapes but none were found in the stomachs The Bullock Bulock oriole is practically a counterpart of the Baltimore oriole taking the place of that species spec west of the rho plains and throughout the life Pacific Pacific Pa Pa- coast region It does sot ot essentially essentially essen essen- Bally differ in its habits of eating or orIn orin orin In its food from Its eastern relative but it Is less beautiful in plumage The examination of stomachs shows that 79 per cent of its food consists con of insects with a few spiders a lizard a mollusk shell and eggshells Oneo One of f the most interesting articles of food in the orioles oriole's dietary was the black olive scale found in 45 atom stomachs achs ache and slid amounting to 5 per cent of th the food In several cases these scales formed 80 SO per cent or more of at the contents and In one 30 Individual scales could be counted They were evidently eviden y a standard article of ot diet and were eaten regularly in ever every even month of the orioles oriole's stay except April The same family of insects insect other than scales eaten quite regularly make up upa a little liitle more more n re than 5 per per cent Dent of the food They were mostly stinkbugs leaf hoppers and tree hc Plant lant li lice e were found und in ia one stomach Moths pupae and caterpillars com compose compose pose the largest item of or the orioles oriole's animal food tood The average consumption consumption consumption tion during its summer stay is a littlemore little littlemore littlemore more than 41 per cent cent- Of Oi these perhaps per per- perhaps haps Naps the most interesting were the rho pupae and larvae of the codling moth These were found in 23 stomachs showing that they are not an unusual article of diet No less than 14 of the pupa cases were found in one stomach stomach atom ach and as they are very fragile many others may have been present but abut broken beyond recognition The vegetable contingent of the orioles oriole's orioles oriole's ori ori- oles ole's food is mostly fruit trait especially In InJune inJune inJune June and July when it takes kindly to cherries and apricots and sand sometimes sometimes some some- times eats more than the fruit grower considers a fair share However However- no great great complaint is made against the bird and it is probable that as a a. rule It does not do serious harm With such sash sucha sasha a good record as an inject eater it canwell can c'an canwell can canwell well be spared a few cherries |