PERCHING-BIRDS. 133 



breed in colonies, the AyelteintE and Quiscalinae, making cnp-shaped nests, 

 while ihe^Icterinte and Cassicince build elaborate structures, which rival 

 those of the Weavers. 



Family XXXVII. ORIOLID^E. ORIOLES. 



The Orioles form a well-marked group of brightly coloured birds [Case 82.] 

 mostly of a golden yellow contrasting with deep black. They are 

 entirely confined to the Old World, and range from Africa, through 

 Europe and Asia, to Australia, They are arboreal in their habits, and 

 feed on fruits, especially cherries, and insects. The Golden Oriole 

 (Oriolus yalbula) (2705) is an annual spring migrant to the south of 

 England, and, if unmolested, would breed there regularly. Its cradle- 

 like nest is skilfully suspended in the fork of a branch, and the eggs 

 are white, blotched with reddish-purple. Oriolus trailli (2712), with 

 its crimson and black plumage, represents a differently coloured section 

 of the genus, met with in Eastern Asia, and Sphecotheres (2710-1) is 

 the representative form in Australia and New Guinea. 



Family XXXVIII. DICRURID^E. DRONGOS. 



These Crow-like Flycatchers form one of the best-defined families of [Case 82.] 

 Passeres, and range from Africa, India, and China through the Malayan 

 Archipelago to Australia. In nearly all the species the plumage is 

 black and the tail strongly forked, especially in the species of Buchanga 

 (2699), and in some forms, such as Dissemurus (2700) and Bhringa (2701) , 

 the outer tail-feathers are greatly prolonged, ending in a "racket"; 

 while others, such as Chibia (2695), have a long hairy crest of barbless 

 plumes. They feed habitually on the wing, darting from some perch 

 on a tree to catch passing insects. The Larger Racket-tailed Drongo 

 (Dissemurus paradiseus) (2700) of India has a really fine song, and is 

 perhaps the best singing-bird in the East. The cup-shaped or cradle- 

 like nest (2694 a) is placed in the fork of a tree., and the eggs are whitish 

 marked with various shades of red. 



Family XXXIX. EURYCEROTID.E. MADAGASCAR STARLINGS. 



Euryceros prevosti (2693), a native of Madagascar, is the sole repre- [Case 82.] 

 sentative of this family, and is remarkable on account of its abnormally 

 deep stout bill. 



Family XL. EULABETID^:. TREE-STARLINGS. 



The Starlings included in this family differ from the true Starlings [Case 83.] 

 (StwnicUi) in being strictly arboreal in their habits, in being provided 



