592 BRITISH BIRDS. 



In the charming oasis of Biskra the Golden Oriole was a very common 

 bird, and frequented the thickest part of the government garden there. 

 It would sometimes stay in the dense foliage of the trees until I wan- 

 dered beneath them. But notwithstanding its showy dress, it was a most 

 difficult bird to discover in the branches ; and a nutter of wings 

 overhead, a hasty glimpse of yellow in the leaves, and it had gone. I 

 sometimes flushed it from the ground, where it was possibly searching for 

 food. At Lambessa it frequented the tufts of evergreen oaks on the 

 borders of the forest ; and there very often its charming song, heard at 

 dawn and even, filled the air around with gladness. Its habits and flight 

 are very similar to a Thrush." 



The general colour of the Golden Oriole is rich golden yellow ; from 

 the base of the bill to the eye is a black streak ; the wings are black ; the 

 primary- co verts have the terminal third of each feather yellow, forming 

 a conspicuous spot on the wing ; the outer edge of the primaries (except 

 the two outermost) and the tips of the secondaries are yellowish white ; 

 the two central tail-feathers are black, except at the base, which is 

 dull greenish yellow, and the tip, which is bright yellow ; the other tail- 

 feathers have the basal two thirds black on the outer web and about a third 

 of the inner web in the centre black, the remainder bright yellow. The 

 amount of black on the tail varies considerably. Bill dull orange-red ; 

 legs, feet, and claws dark brown ; irides red. The female is said by most 

 ornithologists to differ considerably from the male. In what is taken to 

 be the adult plumage the upper parts are olive-green, brightest on the 

 upper tail-coverts ; the black patch at the base of the bill is replaced by 

 dusky brown ; the wings are duller and browner than in the male, and the 

 secondaries and wing-coverts are tinged with green ; the spot on the wing 

 is dull white ; the tail is similar to that of the male, but the colour is 

 duller and not so clearly defined. The throat, breast, and centre of the 

 belly are greyish white ; the flanks and under tail-coverts are bright yellow, 

 and the throat, breast, and flanks are streaked with dark brown. Youn- 

 birds resemble this plumage of the female. Birds in nestling plumage 

 have the upper parts olive- brown, spotted with yellow; the underparts are 

 yellowish white, streaked with brown; the flanks and under tail-coverts 

 bright yellow ; the wings and tail similar to the adult's. It is extremely 

 probable that the female Golden Oriole is similar to the male in colour 

 when fully adult ; but the mature plumage is more slowly acquired, the 

 above-described plumage of the female being nothing but an intermediate 

 phase. 



