THE GOLDEN ORIOLE. 263 



irregular summer migrant, it unfortunately meets 

 with little or no protection, for its bright colours 

 at once attract attention, and many get shot 

 before they have been a week on our shores. 

 The male bird is bright yellow, with black 

 wings and a black and yellow tail. The female 

 is dull green, with pitch-brown wings, the upper 

 tail coverts greenish yellow, and the under 

 parts greyish white, longitudinally streaked with 

 brown on the shafts of the feathers ; the flanks 

 yellow, and streaked in the same way. 



My impressions on meeting with Golden 

 Orioles for the first time in France, now many 

 years ago, will not be easily forgotten. I wanted 

 to see them alive, hear their notes, shoot two or 

 three to examine them closely, and ascertain 

 the nature of their food ; and accordingly I ac- 

 cepted the invitation of a friend and took up my 

 quarters at an old country house, about halfway 

 between Paris and Orleans. On looking over 

 my note-book for that particular year, I find the 

 following entry, relating to the Golden Oriole : 



" Long before six in the morning I was 



