closed by the frequent windings of the river, as you speed along its rapid current. Now the wail of the forest seems to mourn the impetuous, relentless waters, which, by their constant inroads, have swept the beautiful verdure from her borders, which once sheltered, with its overspreading masses, the grief of the cypress, like a veil the sorrowing nun. Again, the desolate camp of the Indian is in sight, or about the numerous fairy islands which decorate the stream boats are visible, sometimes gliding silently, at others swiftly, stemming the waters like attendant genii of the scene. Thousands of birds enlivening the adjacent woods gratify the ear with their sweet mellow notes, or dazzle the sight, as in their gorgeous attire they flash by.

Among the pendant branches of the tall tulip the brilliant oriole gracefully moves, seeking its food among the opening leaves and blossoms. Arriving from the south, this beautiful bird enters Louisiana with the spring. He then seeks some suitable place in which to nestle, generally the gentle slope of a declivity. Having found the desired spot, he commences chirrupping, as though congratulating himself upon the discovery. Anxious to furnish himself with a comfortable residence also, he proceeds to form his nest, in the construction of which astonishing sagacity is displayed. First securing the

THE BALTIMORE ORIOLE.

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longest dried filaments of moss, with the aid of bill and claws, he fastens the one end to a twig, with as much art as a sailor, and then secures the other a few inches off, leaving the thread floating in the air like a swing, the curve of which is, perhaps, seven or eight inches from the branches to which it is suspended. The Baltimore oriole is thus frequently called the “hanging bird,” from the peculiarity of its nest. “Much difference is distinguishable in these structures; some, from their solidity and elegance, showing superior skill in the craftsmen, while others, more slovenly, have their habitations ill contrived. The women in the country are under the necessity of narrowly watching their thread, and the farmer of securing his young grafts, as the bird frequently carries off both."*

The oriole's helpmate then comes to his assistance, and, after inspecting the work her companion has done, commences her labours by placing some fresh threads of a fibrous substance in a contrary direction, thus forming a graceful fabric of network, woven so firmly that no tempest ever can carry away the nest, without breaking the branch also. As if aware of the heat which must in those regions shortly ensue,

Wilson's American Ornithology.

these birds form their nest only of the Spanish moss, instead of the warmer materials often used, and build it so as to be freely ventilated by the air. They are careful, moreover, to place it on the north-east side of the tree. On the other hand, should they proceed as far as Pennsylvania or New York, their nests would be composed of the softest, warmest substances; the intense cold, which sometimes succeeds the frequent changes of the atmosphere in those places, rendering such caution necessary for the preservation of the brood. Two singular instances of the capacity of birds for architecture were met with by Mr. Gould, in the bower bird and the spotted bower bird of Australia, which build“ bowerlike structures for the purpose of a playing ground or hall of assembly.” The bower of the latter birds is considerably longer than that of the first, more resembling an avenue. Having an external coating of twigs, it is lined with tall leaves so contrived as to met at the top. Paved with shells and stones, these enticing little habitations are adorned also with brightly coloured feathers.

Equally interesting is the habitation of the tailor bird, so minutely described in that repository of rare and curious information, the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. A nest was found woven stoutly of cotton, thickly

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lined with horse-hair, and supported between two leaves on a twig. These leaves placed longitudinally on each other were stitched in that position, from the points to rather more than half way up the sides with a strong thread; this was spun from the raw cotton by the bird, leaving the entrance to the nest only at the upper end, between the stalks of the leaves, where they joined the branch of the tree.

When migrating, the flight of the Baltimore oriole is performed high in the air, above the tops of the trees, and sometimes, when the sun declines, they alight singly among the branches to feed or rest.

Their song consists not unfrequently of eight or ten loud full clear notes, is extremely melodious and pleasing. Their movements differ materially from those of other birds. They may be seen clinging by the feet around a stem in such a way, as to require the full extension of their legs and bodies, in order to reach some insect. Again they move curiously sideways for a few steps; or, gliding with elegant and stately motions, are seen with their blended glossy plumage and vermillion-tinted breasts, glittering among the leaves. They resort in the summer season to ripe fruits, such as strawberries, cherries, mulberries, and figs for food. Deserving of enumeration, from the pecu

17

liarity of its attributes, with the most singular among specimens of American ornithology, is the umbrella bird mentioned by Wallace. * "In size equal to the raven, it is also of a glossy black. The male in particular has a singular crest on its head, formed of feathers two inches long, thickly set with hairy plumes, curving over at the end. These can be erected and spread out on every side, forming a hemispherical dome, completely covering the head, and beyond the point of the beak."

But linked with the Mississippi are associations of very different interest. Contrasted with the poetic charm of beauty or melody in birds and flowers is many a tradition dark with crime. One of these it is which has handed down the name of Mason as the terror of peaceful navigators on the Mississippi and Ohio. On Wolf Island, not far from the confluence of these rivers, this pirate had his settlement, and leagued with a band of associates who spread from Virginia to New Orleans. Issuing from his ambush on every propitious opportunity, passing boats were waylaid, to be rifled of their cargoes, or perhaps deprived of their crews, who mysteriously disappeared. Horses and negroes, the principal traffic of the gang, were, besides

* Travels on the Amazon and Rio Negro.