500 OKIOLLCLE. 



Coloration. Head and neck all round and a portion of the upper 

 breast slaty grey, the lores and the feathers at the base of the bill 

 darker ; back, scapulars, and rump chocolate-brown ; lower rump 

 and upper tail-coverts white ; tail and wings ashy black ; breast, 

 abdomen, sides of body, lower tail- and wing-coverts white. 



The young have the upper plumage barred with fulvous^ and 

 the wing-coverts and quills are also tipped with the same colour. 



Legs and feet in some dusky plumbeous, in some dull black ; 

 bill pale blue, tipped blackish; iris deep brown, occasionally slaty 

 blue (Hume). 



Length about 7 ; tail 2'5 ; wing 5-1 ; tarsus -65 ; bill from 

 gape 1. 



Distribution. The Andaman Islands. This species extends through 

 the islands to Australia. 



Habits, $c. The nest of this species was found in the Andamans 

 by Davison in a hollow at the top of a stump in May, but it did 

 not contain eggs. 



Family ORIOLIDJE. 



The intrinsic muscles of the syrinx fixed to the ends of the 

 bronchial semirings ; the edges of both mandibles smooth, the upper 

 one simply notched ; hinder aspect of tarsus smooth, composed of 

 two entire longitudinal laminae ; wing with ten primaries ; tongue 

 non-tubular ; nostrils clear of the line of forehead, the lower edge 

 of the nostril nearer to the commissure than the upper edge is to 

 the culmen ; plumage of the nestling streaked ; rictal bristles 

 present ; rectrices twelve ; sexes generally different ; an autumn 

 moult only. 



The Orioles comprise a number of birds which are found over 

 the tropical and temperate regions of the Old World. They are 

 mostly birds of bright plumage. They have rich flute-like notes, 

 and in habits are strictly arboreal, never descending to the ground. 

 Only one genus is found in India. 



Genus ORIOLUS, Linn., 1766. 



The genus Oriolus contains nine Indian species of birds, several 

 of which are well-known in India under the name of "Mango- 

 bird." The prevailing colour of these birds is yellow, one species 

 only being red. The young are densely streaked below, and they 

 retain traces of streaks in their plumage probably for two years. 



The Orioles frequent forests and well-wooded tracts of country, 

 confining themselves entirely to trees, on the fruit of which, to- 

 gether with insects found on the leaves, they subsist. Many species 



