CASSIQUES AND HANGNESTS. 355 



and the young are attended with remarkable care by the parents. Although 

 feeding mainly upon insects, which are often taken on the ground, the golden 

 oriole during the fruit-season lays toll on the orchard. The range of the golden 

 oriole includes the whole of Europe, except the extreme north, as well as Persia 

 and other parts of South- Western Asia. In winter this species visits South Africa. 

 The bright colour of the male golden .oriole renders it peculiarly liable to be 

 attacked by the sparrow-hawk ; and, in such a contingency, the oriole does not 

 trust to his thrush-like flight enabling him to elude his tormentor in the open, but 

 on the earliest opportunity seeks refuge in the densest thickets available as cover. 

 The oriole forms a good cage-bird ; although old birds are not easily reconciled to 

 the loss of their freedom, and are apt to pine away. Young birds, on the other 

 hand, are easily tamed. 



The adult male of this species is rich golden-yellow above ; the wings being 

 black, the primary coverts broadly edged with yellow, which forms a conspicuous 

 spot ; the tail is black, tipped with yellow, the outer feathers having more yellow 

 than black ; while the entire under-surf ace is golden-yellow. The female differs, 

 from the male in having the back and scapulars tinged with green. 



Among thirty odd species of the genus, we may select for 

 mention the green oriole (0. viridis) of New South Wales, which 

 frequents orchards and gardens, where it fills the summer air with its melodious 

 notes. This oriole, says Prof. Ramsay, may often be seen perched on some shady 

 tree, with its head thrown back, showing to perfection its mottled breast, singing 

 in a low tone, and imitating the notes of many birds, such as the black magpie. 

 While feeding, it frequently utters a harsh guttural sort of squeak ; and, during 

 the breeding-season, which commences at the end of September, and ends in 

 January, it confines itself to a monotonous although melodious cry, the first part 

 of which is quickly repeated, and ends in a lower note. This oriole builds a 

 cup-shaped nest, principally composed of shreds of the bark of a species of 

 gum-tree, strongly woven together, and lined with leaves, or grass and hair; 

 which is generally suspended between a fork at the extreme end of some horizontal 

 bough, often in an exposed situation. The eggs vary in ground-colour from cream 

 to dull white or very light brown, minutely dotted and blotched with umber and 

 blackish brown. Green orioles feed principally on berries and wild fruits, 

 particularly figs; although they sometimes capture insects on the wing. The 

 adult male is dull yellowish olive above ; the wings and tail being brown, washed 

 with grey; while the throat is dull olivaceous; the fore-neck greyish, and the 

 breast and sides of the body white, washed with olive-yellow, each feather having 

 a dark central streak. The sexes when adult are almost identical in colour, but 

 the male has the olive of the upper-parts of a deeper tint than the female. 



* THE CASSIQUES AND HANGNESTS. 

 Family ICTERIDJS. 



To a certain extent intermediate in structure between the crows and the 

 finches, and agreeing with the starlings in the general structure of the skull, and 



