196 SAXTCOLIN.E 



tips and outer webs pale-yellow ; the secondaries also broadly tip- 

 ped with yellow, gradually diminishing in extent to the last 

 primaries, some of which are tipped and edged with yellow; tail, 

 pale-yellow, the two central-feathers with a broad black band 

 about half an inch tipped with yellow, the next pair with barely 

 one inch of black, and the yellow tip nearly half an inch ; the 

 next pair with a narrow and sometimes interrupted black band 

 about the terminal third, and the three outer pairs on each side 

 nearly wholly yellow ; the outer pair with an occasional smear 

 of black on the outer margin ; all the tail-feathers with black 

 shafts diminishing in intensity towards the outermost feathers. 



The young bird has the forehead yellow, the head more or less 

 blackish, the neck white with blackish streaks, the belly yellow 

 with longitudinally dark streaks, and the yellow duller in tint. 



The Bengal Black-headed Oriole is not very common ; it occurs 

 only on the higher ranges, where it replaces Oriolus indicus. It 

 is not uncommon on the Sahyadri Range, and again on the 

 Aravellies near Aboo. 



Oriolus ceylonensis, Bonap. 



473. Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. Ill ; Butler, Deccan ; 

 Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 403. 



THE SOUTHERN BLACK-HEADED ORIOLE. 



Length, 9; expanse, 15 - 3 ; wing, 4*9; tail, 3 '3 ; tarsus, 0'87 ; 

 bill at front, O9. 



Bill pale lake-red ; irides rich-red ; legs plumbeous. 



Head and neck deep-black ; rest of the plumage deep-yellow ; 

 wings black ; the wing spot formed by the tips of the primary - 

 coverts smaller than in the last; the tertiaries only tipped 

 with yellow ; and the black on the tail of greater extent, 

 especially on the central feathers. 



The Southern Black-headed Oriole is very doubtfully distinct 

 from 0. melanocephala. It occurs in the same localities as 

 the last. 



FAMILY, Sylviadae. 



Of small size mostly ; bill slender ; wings usually somewhat 

 lengthened, and tail moderate or short ; tarsus long ; feet 

 moderate. 



SUB-FAMILY, Saxicolinae. 



Bill stouter, more depressed at the base than in the other 

 sub-families ; wings moderate, or somewhat long ; tail moderate 

 in most, short in some, long in a very few ; tarsus moderately 

 long, stout ; feet moderate, fitted for terrestrial habits ; claws 

 slightly curved. 



GENUS, Copsychus, Wagler. 



Bill moderately long and strong, straight ; tip slightly bent, 

 distinctly notched ; rictal bristles almost absent ; nostrils large 





