he, but he silently drops to the
ground, if not already there, and disappears without a sound; the
cardinal grosbeak slips down from his perch on the farther side and
takes wing near the ground; the cat-bird, in the center of a thick
shrub, noiseless as a shadow, flutters across the path and is gone;
others do the same. The orchard oriole alone shouts the news to all whom
it may concern in his loudest "chack! chack!" putting every one on his
guard at once, and making the copse in a moment as empty as though no
wing ever stirred its leaves.

On first noticing the ways of the birds about me on the occasion
mentioned, I saw that there was some sort of a disturbance among them;
scarcely ten minutes passed without a commotion, followed by a chase
through the branches of a tree, one bird pursuing another so hotly that
twigs bent and leaves parted as they passed, the one in advance often
uttering a complaining cry, and the pursuer, a loud, harsh scold.
Something exciting was evidently going on; some tragedy or possibly
comedy, in this extremely sensational family. I was at once interested
to see what it might be and how it would end; and in fact, before I knew
it, I was as much absorbed in oriole matters as though no other
feathered life was to be seen.

There were in the party two males, one in his second year, and therefore
immature in coloring, being olive-yellow on the breast, brown on wings
and tail, with a black mask over eyes and chin; the other was older, and
a model of oriole beauty, being bright chestnut on the lower parts,
with velvety black hood coming down on the breast. With them was one
female, and though far from being friends, the three were never
separated. The trouble seemed to be that both males were suitors, and
notwithstanding the pretty little maid appeared to have a mind of her
own and to prefer the younger of her wooers, the older plainly refused
"to take no for an answer," and was determined to have his own way,
bringing to bear on his courtship all the persistence of his race. In
that particular quality of never giving up what he has set his heart on,
the oriole cannot be excelled, if indeed he can be equaled in the bird
world; for a time, and a long time, too, he is a bird of one idea, and
by fair means or foul he will almost certainly accomplish his desire,
whatever it may be.

Life never grew dull in the party mentioned; they were always talking,
singing, or going for each other in the mad way