GOLDEN ORIOLE. 217 



dark part of the tail-feathers, greyish black ; legs and toes 

 lead colour ; the claws, like the beak, orange brown. 



The whole length of the bird is nine inches and a half. 

 From the carpal joint to the end of the longest feather in the 

 wing, six inches and a quarter : the first wing-feather not quite 

 half as long as the second ; the second not so long as the 

 fourth, but longer than the fifth ; the third feather the long- 

 est in the wing. 



The female has not the dark streak between the beak and 

 the eye ; the upper surface of the plumage is oil-green : 

 upper tail-coverts greenish yellow ; wing-coverts brocoli- 

 brown ; the quill-feathers blackish brown ; the ends of 

 the spurious wing-feathers tipped with white ; outer edges 

 and ends of the quill-feathers margined with dull white : 

 upper surface of tail-feathers brocoli-brown, tinged with yel- 

 low at the base, streaked and tipped with brighter yellow : 

 throat, breast, and under surface of the body, dull greyish 

 white, streaked longitudinally with dark brown on the shafts 

 of the feathers ; sides of the body and flanks yellow, streaked 

 with dark brown ; under tail-coverts pure yellow ; under sur- 

 face of tail-feathers yellow mixed with dull grey. 



According to Mr. Macgillivray, " the young, in its first 

 plumage, is of a dusky yellowish grey tint above, each feather 

 having the central part greyish brown ; the lower parts yel- 

 lowish white, each feather with a central brown line ; the 

 sides and lower tail-coverts bright yellow ; the wings and tail 

 brown, marked with yellow, as in the adult. The male is 

 easily distinguished from the female by its lighter colour." 

 The irides are brown ; the beak dark grey. 



After the first moult, the young resemble old females. 



In the Rev. Dr. Thackeray's British killed sj)ecimen, 

 which had not attained the truly adult male livery, the upper 

 surface of the body is tinged with wine yellow : the scapulars 

 and a few feathers on the centre of the back streaked with 



