already described.
Sometimes the chase was between the males, but oftener the female flew
for her life apparently, while the rough wooer followed closely with
great noise and confusion. The affair ended occasionally with a cry of
distress as though somebody was pecked, but several times she stood at
bay and defied him with mouth open, feathers bristled up, wings
fluttering, and every way quite ready to defend herself. Like other
blusterers, on the first show of fight he calmed down, and the matter
ended for the time. Peace lasted from ten to twenty minutes, during
which they hopped about the tree, or hung head-downward on the Spanish
moss, talking in low tones, though the male never omitted delivering a
scolding note with every two or three pleasant ones. Her voice was
charming, in a tender call, a gentle chatter, or a sweet song, unspoiled
by the harsh tones of her partner. She was also a very pretty bird,
bright yellow below, olive-yellow on the back, no black about the face,
and legs and feet blue as the sky, and she was as graceful as she was
beautiful.

Repose of manner was unknown to the orchard orioles. One was scarcely
ever seen sitting or standing still. The song was given while moving,
either flying or hopping about on the tree. If one did pause while it
was uttered, the body jerked, and the head turned this way and that, as
though he really was too restless to be perfectly quiet for a moment.

The most tempestuous times were when the younger suitor put himself
forward and persuaded the fair yellow damsel to show him some slight
preference. The venerable lover was not slow to resent this, and to
fall like a hurricane upon the pretender, who disappeared like a dead
leaf before the blast, and so quickly that he could not be followed--at
least by anything less rapid than wings. Once, however, I saw a curious
affair between the two suitors which was plainly a war-dance. It
followed closely upon one of the usual flurries, conducted with perhaps
louder cries and more vehemence than common, and began by both birds
alighting on the grass about a foot apart, and so absorbed in each other
as to be utterly oblivious of a spectator within ten feet of them on the
balcony. No tiger out of the jungle could hold more rage and fury than
animated those feathered atoms, bristled up even to the heads, which
looked as if covered with velvet caps. They paused an instant, then
crouched, jerked their tails, "teetered" and posed in s