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Orioles feed a good deal on soft fruit and berries, chiefly wild and 
growing on the outskirts of forests, also on caterpillars and insects. 
The clear sonerous call or whistle of the common Oriole must un- 
doubtedly be well-known ; a sort of pee-ho, pee-ho ery at intervals, 
sweet and far reaching. It can clearly be heard in the district at 
times above the roar of the cascades and rushing hill streams. 
Oriole’s nest is typical, built in a pendent manner near the end of 
a thinish branch. Eggs are white, with black spots, not unlike eggs 
of some of the Drongos. 
(471) OrtoLtus INDICUS, Black-naped Indian Oriole, is found in 
the Terai. It seldom seems to get much beyond foot of the hills, 
in the district. It isa shade larger than previous species, being 
about 10 inches and differs in its markings. It is bright yellow and 
has a sort of black tippet over the neck reaching down to the nape, 
narrowing at the bill ; tail black tipped with yellow ; wings black, 
greenish yellow about the secondaries, part of the tertiaries and tips 
of primaries ; it has a bright yellow wing patch. These few general 
marking will suffice to distinguish this species. 
(472) ORIOLUS MELANOCEPHALUS, Bengal Black-headed Oriole, 
is not found in the district. It is plentiful and well distributed in 
the plains, where it is usually observed feeding in thinly wooded 
parts of the country, or visiting gardens, chiefly avenues. In size it 
in 95 inches ; plumage is rich yellow above ; head and neck deep 
black, also breast, and wings, which have a yellow band about pri- 
mary coverts ; tail yellow, but lighter in shade with a few of the 
inner feathers with a broad black band, tipped yellow ; lower parts 
of the body are pale yellow. 
(474) Ortotus Trai, Maroon Oriole, here you have quite a 
different type of species. Maroon takes the place of bright yellow 
which we found to be the prevailing colour of Orioles. In size it is 
11 inches in length. This bird ascends a much higher altitude 
than any of the other Orioles. In spring it used to be frequently 
seen in Darjeelirg but of late years they have been getting scarcer. 
Like other species they keep much to high branches of trees, and 
prefer better wooded portions of the district. Maroon Oriole has a 
rich and sonorous call which is, usually, heard to advantage in spring. 
It feeds like the cuckoos much on little green and hairy caterpillars 
which abound in these parts in April, occasionally on insects and 
berries. Plumage of these birds is a pretty, glossy maroon red, or 
brick colour ; head, neck and wings are black, nicely glossed ; tail 
more a brick colour and lighter in appearance ; bill light plumbeous, 
legs darker ; irides light yellow. This bird at first sight looks like 
one of the meruline thrushes ; but a closer inspection does not fail to 
distinguish it by its typical markings, 
