THE GOLDEN ORIOLE 151 



Central France, four or five birds may be heard uttering their 

 melodious but all too short strophe at the same time. Bird notes are 

 notoriously difficult to express in cold print, and the written words 

 will convey little meaning to those who have never heard the bird, 

 but to those who know it, they may recall pleasant hours spent in 

 pursuit of a " wandering voice," perhaps to be rewarded at last by 

 the sight of the shy bird, crouching close to the branch and partly 

 hidden by the chrome-coloured foliage of the oaks, or a mere glimpse 

 of yellow and gold as he wings his way to another tree from which 

 presently his clear notes again resound. 



Naumann notices the variation in the whistle of the same bird 

 as repeated from time to time, and expresses it thus : "gidleo, 

 gitatidlio, gidilio, gipliagiblio, gidleah!" Allowing for the German 

 pronunciation of the letter i (which might be represented by ee in 

 English), this gives a fair idea of the sound. Many of the local names 

 of this bird, such as the Dutch " wielewaul," the German " wigenwagel " 

 and "pirol," the French "loriot," and others, are obviously derived 

 from these notes. According to Dresser, many of the German foresters 

 can entice the oriole within range by imitating its notes, especially a 

 soft " hio" used by both sexes during the breeding season, and on one 

 occasion Carl Sachse managed to get three at the same time within 

 range, while at other times he brought a bird to within a few yards of 

 where he was lying concealed. But the slightest defect in imitating 

 the call will put the bird on its guard, and it is then hopeless to try and 

 approach it. It must not, however, be supposed that the whistling 

 notes comprise the complete vocabulary of this species, for it has a 

 whole series of harsh, cat-like, snarling and growling notes, which 

 are not audible at any great distance, but are always to be heard 

 when the nesting-place is approached. Naumann writes the alarm- 

 note, uttered when disturbed, as " giaek, jaek, jaek" and a hoarse 

 " kraeek " or " schraeaek" 1 



1 There is also some evidence that the oriole possesses a low song, which has been compared 

 to those of the reed- and sedge-warblers, and which is inaudible beyond thirty or forty yards. 

 See Naturgeschichte der Vogel Mitteleuropas, iv. p. 32. 



