1528 THE PERCHING BIRDS 



The adult male of this species is rich golden yellow above; the wings being 

 black, the primary coverts broadly edged with yellow, which forms a conspicuous 

 spot; the tail is black, tipped with yellow, the outer feathers having more yellow 

 than black; while the entire under surface is golden yellow. The female differs 

 from the male in having the back and scapulars tinged with green. 



Among thirty odd species of the genus, we may select for mention 

 the green oriole (O. viridis] of New South Wales, which frequents 

 orchards and gardens, where it fills the summer air with its melodious notes. This 

 oriole says Professor Ramsay, may often be seen perched on some shady tree, with 

 its head thrown back, showing to perfection its mottled breast, singing in a low tone, 

 and imitating the notes of many birds, such as the black magpie. While feeding, 

 it frequently utters a harsh guttural sort of squeak; and, during the breeding season, 

 which commences at the end of September, and ends in January, it confines itself to 

 a monotonous although melodious cry, the first part of which is quickly repeated, 

 and ends in a lower note. This oriole builds a cup-shaped nest, principally com- 

 posed of shreds of the bark of a species of gum tree, strongly woven together, and 

 lined with leaves, or grass and hair, which is generally suspended between a fork at 

 the extreme end of some horizontal bough, often in an exposed situation. The eggs 

 vary in ground color from cream to dull white or very light brown, minutely dotted 

 and blotched with umber and blackish brown. Green orioles feed principally on 

 berries and wild fruits, particularly figs; although they sometimes capture insects on 

 the wing. The adult male is dull yellowish olive above; the wings and tail being 

 brown, washed with gray; while the throat is dull olivaceous; the fore-neck grayish, 

 and the breast and sides of the body white, washed with olive yellow, each feather 

 having a dark central streak. The sexes when adult are almost identical in color, 

 but the male has the olive of the upper parts of a deeper tint than the female. 



THE CASSIQUES AND HANGNESTS 

 Family ICTERID^ 



To a certain extent intermediate in structure between the crows and the finches, 

 and agreeing with the starlings in the general structure of the skull, and especially 

 the backward prolongation of the hinder extremity of the lower mandible, the large 

 assemblage of American birds known as cassiques and hangnests may be regarded 

 as the New- World representatives of the starlings of the Old World, although, so 

 far as habits are concerned, it does not appear that there is any very marked struc- 

 tural affinity between the two families. Distinguished by the length and slenderness 

 of the beak, which in most cases equals the head in length, these birds generally 

 possess pointed wings, which have never more than nine primaries; they have strong 

 feet, and chiefly black plumage. Among the numerous genera only a few can be 

 selected for notice. Congregating in flocks, after the manner of starlings, many of 

 these birds build the long, pendent, bottle-like nests, from which the name of the 

 family is derived. The family may be divided into three groups, the first compris- 



