THE GOLDEN OEIOLE. 121 



occasionally seen to halt for a day or two among the woody 

 retreats of the parish. Of these occasional visitants we may 

 notice in particular the Bohemian Chatterer, the Hoopoe, 

 and the Golden Oriole." ^ There is no other record of the 

 appearance of this species in Berwickshire, and it is so very 

 rarely seen north of the Tweed that Mr. Gray mentions 

 only four instances of its occurrence in Scotland besides 

 the above." 



I have seen this beautiful bird and heard its rich flute- 

 like notes in the neighbourhood of Romarantin, Loir et 

 Cher, France, where it is plentiful during summer. It 

 frequented the tops of the tall oak and beech trees in the 

 parks Avhich surrounded the country houses of the landed 

 proprietors, and was exceedingly shy and difficult to 

 approach. On referring to my note-book, I find that, on 

 the 4th of July 1870, I endeavoured to obtain a specimen 

 in the park which surrounded the residence of M. Jullien, 

 near La Ferte Ambault. The Orioles kept continually fly- 

 ing from the top of one clump of trees to that of another, 

 always alighting amongst the leafy branches, and taking 

 wing long before I could get within gunshot of them. All 

 my endeavours to get within range, by following them, 

 were fruitless. At last I concealed myself behind the 

 trunk of a tall beech in the centre of one of the clumps, 

 and my brother, who accompanied me, walked round to the 

 opposite side of the park, and drove the birds in my direc- 

 tion. After waiting for some little time, I had the satisfac- 

 tion of seeing a beautiful yellow male alight on the top of 

 a tree near my place of concealment, and of securing it. The 

 heat in the park was oppressive, being 95° in the shade, and 

 the barrels of my gun became so hot when exposed to the 



1 JV^ew Statistical Account of Scotland, vol. ii., " Benvickshire," p. 

 299. 



a Birds of the West of Scotland, pp. 80, 512. 



