SMALL BILLED ORIOLE. 37 



the neck, which parts are of the same green as the 

 back. 



Total length about 8| inches; bill, from the 

 front, T ^j ; ditto, from the gape, 1 ; wings, 4J ; tail, 

 from the base, 3 ; tarsus, ^ ; hind-toe and claw 

 5*5 shorter. 



THE CAPE BLACK-CAPPED ORIOLE. 



Oriolus Capensis, SWAINS. 



Olive greenish ; beneath yellow ; head and throat black ; 

 spurious wings with a white spot; all the lateral tail- 

 feathers black, tipt with yellow, the middle pair green with 

 black tips. 



Lc Loriot Coudougnan, Le VaVl. Ois. tfAfr. pi. 261, male, 

 262, female Oriolus melanocephalus, var., Vieill. Encyc. 

 Meth. 696. 



DESCRIPTION. Size of the Golden Oriole; length, 9J 

 inches; bill red, straight, curved only at the tip. 

 The only species of the Cape colony which builds 

 there. Had M. Vieillot seen this species, we are 

 persuaded he never would have supposed it a variety 

 of 0. melanocephalus^ merely because the head and 

 neck are black. We already know, in fact, of not 

 less than four species having the common character 

 of a black hood over the head and in front of the 



