136 BRACHYPODID^. 



Head, hind neck, rouud the eye, forecheek, chin, throat and npper 

 breast black ; back, wing-coverts, scapulars, and npper tail-coverts 

 earthy brown ; quills dusky brown ; the outer webs like the back ; ear- 

 coverts and hinder part of cheeks white ; tail dark brown, lighter at 

 their bases, all the feathers tipped with white; lower breast and 

 abdomen ashy brown ; thigh-coverts dusky brown; under tail-coverts 

 rich golden or saffron yellow; bill horny brown ; irides dark brown ; 

 legs and feet dark brown. 



Length. — 7 inches, wing 3'5, tail 3"25, tarsus 0"9. 



Hab. — Western and Northern India, Beloochistan (Khelat, Bolan, 

 Mekran Coast and Quetta), S. Afghanistan (Chaman), Persia. Common 

 in the Punjab and N. W. Provinces. Resident in Sind. Breeds from 

 April to July. 



Sub-Family, OR lOLIN^,— Orioles. 



Nostrils in front of the base of the bill, bare ; bill, with a notch in 

 the upper mandible, slightly curving ; wings long, 3i'd and 4th quills 

 longest; tail rather short, neaiiy even; outer toe syndactyle. 



Gen, Oriolus, Linn. S. N. i. p. 160. 



Lores feathered, but generally with a little bare space behind the 

 eye ; 3rd quill longest. 



Oriolus galbula, ii/iH. S. N, i. p. 160; Naum. vogt. Beutsdi. n^ 

 tab. 61 ; McGUl. Br. B. ii. p. 69. Govld. B. Eur. ii. pi. 71 ; Gray, 

 Gen. B. i. p. 232 ; Layard, B. South Afr. p. 135 ; Shelley, B. Egypt, 

 p. 156; Shar^ye, Ibis. 1870, p. -215; id. Cat. Afr. B. -p. 53; Hunw, 

 Str. F. 187S, -p. 182; Murray, Edbk., ZooL, <$'c., Sind, p. 143.— The 

 Golden Oriole. 



Adult Male. — Golden yellow, a blackish brown spot between the 

 eye and the bill ; wings and tail black; a yellow spot on the quills not 

 far from the middle of the wing when closed ; tail feathers terminated 

 with yellow; bill reddish maroon; iris red; feet bluish grey. 



Length. — Rather more than 10 inches, bill at front 1, wing 5'9, tail 

 3*1, tarsus 8. 



Adult Female. — Greenish olive above, greyish white with a yellowish 

 tinge below, where the plumage is marked by some white distant greyish 

 brown stripes or dashes disposed longitudinally ; wings brown, border- 

 ed with olivaceous grey ; tail olivaceous, tinged with black ; beneath 

 yellowish with a brownish black mark somewhat in the form of an 

 irregular Y; no dark streak behind the bill and the eye. 



The young of the year resemble the female, but the longitudinal 

 stripes of the lower parts arc more numerous and deeper in colour ; 

 bill blackish grey ; iris brown. 



It is said to breed in parts of Europe, laying generally four or five 

 eggs, white or purplish white, speckled with lake red and dusky. 



Hah. — The whole of Eui'ope, S. W. Asia, South Africa and Persia. 

 A visitant in Sind during October and November. 



