136 BIRDS OF THE PLAINS 



Indian oriole seems to be merely a winter visitor to 

 Madras, and it is seen in the Punjab only during 

 the hot weather. In the. intervening parts it may be 

 observed all the year round ; hence the species would 

 appear to perform a small annual migration, leaving 

 the South in the hot weather. In those parts where 

 orioles are found all the year round it is not improb- 

 able that the birds one sees in the winter are not 

 those that are observed during the summer. 



The oriole is essentially a bird of the greenwood tree ; 

 if you would see him you should betake yourself to 

 some well-irrigated orchard. I have never seen an 

 oriole on the ground; its habits are strictly arboreal, 

 but it does not seem to be at all particular about taking 

 cover. It perches by preference on the topmost bough 

 of a tree, and if this bough be devoid of leaves, so much 

 the better, for the bird enjoys a more extensive view of 

 the surrounding country. Very beautiful does such 

 a bird look, sitting outlined against the sky, as the first 

 rays of the morning sun fall upon and add fresh lustre 

 to its golden plumage. Orioles feed upon both fruit 

 and insects, and so cannot be regarded as unmixed 

 blessings to the agriculturalist. 



As I have already said, Dame Nature has been 

 exceedingly kind to this bird ; not content with deck- 

 ing him out in brilliantly coloured raiment, she has 

 endowed him with a voice of which any bird might 

 well be proud. It is a clear, mellow whistle, which 

 is usually syllabised as peeho, peeho, or lorio, lorio ; 

 indeed, the name oriole is probably onomatopoetic. 

 In addition to this the bird has several other notes. 



