THE GOLDEN ORIOLE. 91 



materials collected in this country. On the European 

 continent it is a regular visitor, though even there it 

 makes no long stay, arriving in the beginning of May, and 

 taking its departure early in autumn. It is most common 

 in Spain, Southern France, and Italy, but is not unfre- 

 quent in many other parts of France, in Belgium, and the 

 south of Germany. 



" His note," says Cuthbert Collingwood, " is a very loud 

 whistle, which may be heard at a great distance, but in 

 richness equalling the flute stop of a fine-toned organ. 

 But variety there is none in his song, as he never utters 

 more than three notes consecutively, and those at intervals 

 of half a minute or a minute. Were it not for its fine tone, 

 therefore, his song would be as monotonous as that of the 

 Missel Thrush, which in modulation it greatly resembles.'' 



The nest of the Oriole is described as a marvel of 

 architectural skill, excelling in elegance of form, richness 

 of materials, and delicacy of worlananship combined with 

 strength. It is overlaid externally, like that of the 

 Chaffinch, with the silvery white lichen of fruit trees, 

 which gives it the appearance of being a part of the 

 branch which supports it. But the mansion of the Oriole 

 is more skilfully concealed than that even of the Chaf- 

 finch. The latter is placed on a branch, of which it 

 increases the apparent size, and so attracts attention. The 

 nest of the Oriole, on the contrary, is suspended between 

 the two forks of a horizontal branch, which intercept the 

 side view of it. The materials employed are the lichen 

 above mentioned, wool, cobwebs, and feathers, but all of 

 a white hue. When not placed in a fruit tree, it is attached 

 by a kind of cordage to the twigs of a poplar or birch tree, 

 or even to a bunch of mistletoe, hanging in mid-air like 

 the car of a balloon. A cradle thus sedulously constructed 

 we should expect to find watched with unusual solicitude. 

 And such is the case ; it is defended most valiantly 

 against the attacks of marauding birds, and so devoted is 



