106 BIRDS OF INDIA. 



never less than 1|- inch short of the tall-tip. Lord A. Hay, 

 lliinking that the name puella of Latham applied to the Javanese 

 bird, called our species /. indica ; but in Horsficld's Catalogue 

 it is mentioned by Moore that Latham's bird came from India ; 

 consequently the Malayan race is without a name, and Moore 

 accordingly named it /. malayensis. It is figured in Horsfield's 

 Zool. Res. in Java. 



A third species exists in /. cyanogastra, Vigors, from the Phil- 

 lipmes, figured iu Gra^^'s Genera of Birds. 



Sub-fam. Oriolin^. 



Bill Thrush-like, rather long, strong, moderately broad at the 

 base, slightly curving, tolerably hooked, and the tip distinctly 

 notched ; wings long, 3rd or 4th quill longest ; tail rather short, 

 nearly even; tarsus short ; feet small; lateral toes unequal, and 

 the outer one syndactyle ; claws well curved. 



The Orioles comprise a small number of genera, chiefly natives 

 of tlie Old World and Australia. They may be said to be true 

 Thrushes by their bills, with the legs of the short-footed Thrushes. 

 The tongue is slightly cleft or pencilled at the tip. Their food is 

 fruit, and soft insects, such as caterpillars. They frequent woods 

 and forests, and rarely or never descend to the ground. Van 

 Hoeven places them with the Birds of l^aiadise ; Blyth in 

 the Mellijihagidve ; Cuvier, Gray, and llorsfield among the 

 Thrushes. 



Gen. Oriolus, Linnasus. 



Char. — Bill long, slightly broad at the base, somewhat curved 

 on the culmen, whicli is keeled, slightly hooked at tip, distinctly 

 notched ; nostrils basal and lateral, longitudinal, pierced in mem- 

 brane, nearly apert ; wings lengthened, 1st qinll very short, 2nd a 

 little shorter than the 3rd, which is lorigest ; tail sub-even, with 

 long coverts ; tarsus short ; feet moderately strong ; anterior scales 

 of tarsus divided ; claws moderate, well curved. 



The true Orioles are confined to Asia, Africa, and Australia, 

 one species extending to the South of Europe, and rarely straggling 

 to England. They are almost uniformly of a yellow color, with 



