THE GOLDEN ORIOLE 149 



as arriving from April 25th to May 10th. A third and more im- 

 portant route is through Sicily and along the Italian peninsula ; 

 while still further to the east large numbers cross to Greece from 

 the opposite coasts of Africa, arriving from the 18th to the 26th of 

 April onward, and many escape the sea passage altogether by migrat- 

 ing through Palestine, where Tristram met with large numbers for 

 a fortnight in mid-May. 1 



Wandering among the groves of cork oak, ilex, or pine, with their 

 scented undergrowth of cistus and broom in Southern Andalucia 

 towards the end of April, a momentary glimpse is caught of a 

 brilliant black and golden bird, with strong and undulating flight 

 somewhat recalling that of the green woodpecker. He only shows 

 himself for a second or two between the trees before he is swallowed 

 up by the thick foliage of a Spanish oak. This is an old male 

 golden oriole, one of the skirmishers of the invading army ; a wary 

 one too, and quite alive to the value of effective cover, for experience 

 teaches us that he persistently avoids the shelter of the olive, with 

 its thin, pointed, glaucous leaves, or the scanty foliage of the 

 cork oak, in which he might be detected without much difficulty, 

 and prefers to resort to those trees only which provide the conceal- 

 ment which he seeks. Here the males always precede the females 

 by several days, and as a rule pass on quickly, but even in Andalucia 

 a few settle down to breed. Meantime a process of dispersion goes 

 on gradually over Spain and Portugal, some still journeying north- 

 ward towards the Pyrenean passes, while others colonise certain 

 favoured spots, such as the valley of the Lower Guadiana and the 

 elm groves of Aranjuez. Near the head of the pass of Roncesvaux, 

 H. A. Macpherson 2 met with several brilliantly plumaged males 

 resting on passage, but noticed one cock and hen in company which 

 had probably already paired. When the Pyrenees are passed the 

 process of dispersal goes on through the plains of France, until the 

 advance guard of the Spanish army meets with the outlying scouts 



1 Ibia, 1867, p. 366. " Zoologist, 1801, p. 467. 



