74 ORIOLUS GALBULA. 



though its tail and feet are shorter, and its wings proportionally 

 longer. Indeed, its resemblance to the Thrushes is such that 

 several authors have named it the Golden Thrush. As it agrees 

 in every particular with the generic character above given, it 

 is unnecessary here to repeat the details already presented. 



The plumage is blended, the feathers being oblong, with dis- 

 united barbs ; those on the fore part of the head very short. 

 The wings when closed reach to within an inch of the end of 

 the tail. 



The bill is of a light-brownish red. The iris, according to 

 Temminck and Montagu, is red. The feet are bluish-grey, and 

 the claws are nearly of the same tint as the bill. The general 

 colour of the plumage is a rich and pure gold-yellow. The 

 space between the bill and the eye is black. The wings are 

 brownish-black, excepting the smaller coverts, and the margin, 

 which are yellow ; the tips of the primary coverts, and those 

 of all the quills excepting the two outer, being also bright yel- 

 low ; and the external margin of all excepting the first, yellow- 

 ish-white. The two middle tail-feathers are greenish-yellow at 

 the base, in the rest of their extent black, excepting a very nar- 

 row terminal edge, which is yellow ; the other tail-feathers are 

 black, with a yellow terminal space enlarging on the outer. 



Length to end of tail 9 5 inches ; wing from flexure Q^^ ; tail 

 3/2 ; bill along the ridge l^^^, along the edge of lower mandi- 

 ble 1/2 ; tarsus ] ; first toe 5, its claw ^^ ; second toe |, its 

 claw II ; third toe y^^, its claw ^^ ; fourth toe /g, its claw /g. 



Female. — The female is somewhat less than the male. The 

 bill and feet are similarly coloured. The plumage of the upper 

 parts is yellowish-green, the forehead brighter, and the upper 

 tail-coverts greenish-yellow. The fore part of the neck is pale 

 yellowish-grey, its sides greenish-yellow, the breast white, the 

 sides and lower tail-coverts bright yellow. The throat is marked 

 with longitudinal pale-brown lines, the breast with larger lines 

 of brownish-black. The wings are brown, their edges greenish- 

 yellow, the tips of the quills, except the two outer, and of the 

 primary coverts pale yellow. The tail is brownish-black, the 

 terminal yellow spaces of much less extent than in the male. 



