MYRMOTHERIN^E. 121 



The Orioles appear to be allied to the Rollers ; not only 

 the form of their bill, but also their short tarsi and broad 

 toes indicating this affinity. They belong to Africa, the 

 warmer parts of Asia, and New Holland. One species ap- 

 pears in Britain, as an occasional or accidental visitor. 



59. ORIOLUS GALBULA. GOLDEN ORIOLE. 



Male with the plumage bright yellow, the wings black, the 

 primary coverts and all the quills excepting the first and se- 

 cond, tipped with yellow ; the tail-feathers black, tipped with 

 yellow, the space of the latter colour enlarging from the me- 

 dial to the lateral feathers ; the loral space black. Female 

 greenish-yellow above, yellowish-white beneath, marked with 

 longitudinal dusky lines ; wings and tail brown, tipped with 

 yellow. Young dusky yellowish, grey above, each feather with 

 the centre olive-brown ; yellowish-white beneath, with linear 

 brown streaks. 



Male, 9J, . ., 6 T 2 ? , 1 T V, W 5 , &. ^ Female, 9 T V 



The Golden Oriole is said to arrive in the south of Europe 

 about the end of spring, and to extend over France and many 

 parts of Germany, but to be rare in the northern countries. 

 It has occurred in several counties in England, and in a few 

 instances in Ireland. 



Oriolus Galbula, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. 160. Oriolus Galbula, 

 Temm. Man. d'Ornith. i. 129. Oriolus Galbula, Golden Ori- 

 ole, MacGillivray, Brit. Birds, ii. 73. 



FAMILY XV. MYRMOTHERINJE. MYRMO- 

 THERINE BIRDS, OR ANTCATCHERS. 



The birds of this family are distinguished from the 

 Thrushes chiefly by their shortened form. Bill rather 

 short, moderately stout, straight, with the dorsal line con- 

 vexo-declinate, the tip narrow, the edges of the upper 

 mandible slightly notched near the end. Mouth of mo- 

 derate width. Feet rather long and stoutish ; tarsus com- 

 pressed, with large distinct scutella ; toes of moderate size, 

 the first stouter, and nearly as long as the second, the 

 fourth a little longer, and united at the base ; claws mode- 

 rate, arched, compressed, laterally grooved, acute. Wings 



