GOLDEN ORIOLE. 3 



by the branching boughs of a tall tree, to which it is firmly 

 attached. It is made of stalks of grass, small roots, and 

 wool, cleverly interwoven together, and is lined with the finer 

 portions of the materials. The one taken in Kent, alluded 

 to before, is described by J. B. Ellman, Esq., of Rye, in the 

 'Zoologist,' page 2496, as hiving been suspended from the 

 extreme end of the topmost bough of an oak, and composed 

 entirely of wool, carefully bound together with dried grass. 



The eggs are commonly four or five in number, of a white 

 colour, sometimes with a tinge of purple, and a few spots of 

 black, brownish black, or grey, and claret colour. 



Male; length, nine inches and a half; bill, light brownish 

 red, flattened at the base, and laterally compressed at the 

 tip: the upper bill is nearly straight at the base, and gently 

 arched towards the tip; there is a prominent ridge along it; 

 it is toothed near the extremity. Iris, red the space between 

 it and the eye is black; head, crown, neck on the back and 

 in front, and on the sides, and the nape bright yellow. Chin, 

 throat, and breast, bright yellow. The wings, when closed, 

 reach to within an inch of the end of the tail; the greater 

 wing coverts have their tips and margins yellow; lesser wing 

 coverts, yellow; primaries, secondaries, and tertiaries, black, 

 their tips yellow, excepting those of the two outer primaries, 

 and the outer margins of all, excepting the first, are also 

 yellow; underneath, the wing feathers are greyish black; the 

 first quill feather is not half so long as the second, the second 

 not so long as the fourth, but longer than the fifth, the 

 third the longest; greater and lesser under wing coverts, yellow. 

 The tail, which is slightly rounded, is black, excepting the 

 two middle feathers, which are greenish yellow at the base, 

 and yellow on the terminal edge, and the outer feathers, 

 which are yellow from the tips to the middle on the outer 

 webs; underneath, the black feathers are greyish black; upper 

 tail coverts, bright yellow; under tail coverts, also bright 

 yellow. Legs and toes, bluish grey; claws, light brownish 

 red. 



It is to be observed that the male bird does not attain 

 the brilliant yellow plumage until the third year: its beautiful 

 colours 'grow with its growth.' 



In the female the bill is also light brownish red: the black 

 streak between it and the eye is wanting. Forehead, yellow, 

 with a tinge of green; head, crown, and neck on the back, 

 yellowish green in front the latter is pale yellowish grey, 



