THE GOLDEN ORIOLE. 3 



informed me that the bird had been seen in one of his thickets during the previous 

 week. We visited the place in the hope of discovering a nest, but were unsuc- 

 cessful. 



In Ireland it has chiefly occurred on the east coast, most of the examples 

 being females, or immature males ; a specimen was recorded as shot in the Faeroe 

 Islands, in May, 1893, by Col. H. W. Feilden. Perhaps the nearest point to 

 London at which it has been recognised, was noted in the "Zoologist" for 1892, 

 an example having apparently been seen in Richmond Park. 



The male of this species is bright gamboge yellow, the lores, wings (excepting 

 the terminal third of the primary-coverts) and a great part of the tail black ; the 

 primaries, excepting the two outermost, are edged externally, and the secondaries 

 are tipped with yellowish white ; the two central tail-feathers are yellowish at the 

 base, and yellow at the tip, and the other feathers have the terminal third of the 

 outer webs, and borders of the inner webs yellow ; bill reddish ochreous ; feet 

 leaden grey ; iris bright red. The female is much duller than the male, greener, 

 and with the black colouring replaced by deep brown ; the throat, breast, and 

 centre of belly whitish ; the throat, breast, and flanks streaked with greyish. 

 Young birds are greener and browner than the female, but otherwise similar ; 

 nestlings have the upper parts olivaceous, spotted with yellow. 



The Golden Oriole frequents gardens, groves, plantations, thickets, and the 

 outskirts of large woods, especially in the neighbourhood of water ; it seems to 

 prefer the haunts of man, yet is so shy that it rarely remains in view for more 

 than a minute as it flies rapidly, in somewhat Thrush-like, though more undulating 

 fashion, from cover to cover; choosing ever the densest foliage, as if aware of the 

 perilous brilliance of its plumage : possibly it may slowly be acquiring a hereditary 

 knowledge of the fact that, if but a glimpse is obtained of it, an attempt at least 

 is made to put an end to its life ; or if it fails to comprehend so much, it may 

 inherit a dread of the thunder and lightning which, for generations, have heralded 

 its appearance : birds are not naturally fearful of man ; for even those which have 

 been taught by their parents to dread him, can be generally converted by gentleness 

 and petting : moreover the fact that a grown man can tame a small bird, whereas 

 even the tamest will always show the greatest fear of a little boy, certainly seems 

 to prove that the instinctive dread of the monkey nature in the latter is deeply 

 implanted in all birds ; just as is that of a cat, even though that animal may 

 never have been seen by the bird previously.* 



* I found that Thrushes, Blackbirds, and Starlings, taken quite young from the nest, and hand-reared, 

 showed the utmost alarm when they caught sight of a cat in my garden. 1 find that all birds fear boys much 

 more than girls, but especially when the children are quite young. These facts are entirely opposed to Charles 

 Dixon's theory that everything has to be learned by each individual, nothing being instinctive or inherited. 



