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THE GOLDEN ORIOLE. 



Macgillivray says, " Xo authentic case of its occurrence in 

 Scotland has been recorded," which, if true in his day, is not so 

 now, for the Scotsman of October 24th, 1892, says :— 



" In deer-stalking on the Swordale Hills, Mr Brothei*stone brought down 

 the most valuable vara avis of this year's shooting, in the shape of a roller 

 bird, reckoned to be a very rare visitor to the British Isles, although 

 common on the Continent, whither it migrates in spring from South Africa 

 and returns in autumn. The specimen shot at Swordale, on the eastern 

 shoulder of Ben Wyvis, is a beautiful bird, the tints of the plumage, under 

 and over the wings especially, being remarkably rich and variegated. 

 Very few specimens of this bird have been got in these islands during the 

 past number of years, so that naturalists may be interested to hear of its 

 visit this season to the Ross-shire Highlands." 



But as I never saw it about St Andrews, a brief description 

 will suffice. It is about the size and form of the blackbird, 

 though its tail and feet are shorter and its wings longer. Its 

 likeness to the thrushes has caused it to be named the golden 

 thrush by some authors. The general colour is a rich golden 

 yellow ; the wings, brownish-black, except the smaller coverts 

 and the margins of the quills, which are yellow ; the tips of the 

 primary and all the quills, except the two outer ones, also bright 

 yellow ; the tail, black, yellow at the end. The space between 

 the bill and eye, black ; bill, light red ; iris, red ; feet, bluish- 

 grey ; claws, reddish. The female similar, but not so bright 

 yellow. Food — the same as the thrushes. It builds on trees ; 

 the nest composed of long straws or grasses interwoven ; inside, 

 moss and lichens, and lined with fine grass, sometimes wool, but 

 no clay or mud. The eggs five, smooth and white, with a few 

 brown spots. 



FAMILY IV. 



Sylviadce, or Warblers. 



The Sylviadce are small birds, distinguished by elegance of 

 form and delicate structure of bill. Like the rest of the families 

 of the Insessores, the Sylviadce is divided into groups, called 

 sub-families — 1, the Saxicoliana, or stone-haunters, which forms 

 the link between the thrushes and the warblers ; 2, Philomelina 

 — including the nightingale — noted for power of song ; 3, 

 Sylviana — including the golden-crested wren ; 4, Parina — 

 represented by the tits ; and 5, Motacillina — including the wag- 

 tails. I begin with, first, 



