TEE GOLDEN OEIOLE. 107 



i 



ADDITIONAL. The Coracine birds, or Boilers, are mostly inha- 

 bitants of warm climates ; one species occurs in Britain, and that 

 only as a straggler. Of this, specimens have been most fre- 

 quently shot in our eastern and north-eastern counties ; two are 

 recorded to have been obtained in Orkney. MACGILLIVEAY 

 describes the bird as of "a shy and restless disposition, it pre- 

 fers the forests and solitary places, but sometimes associates with 

 Books and other birds, searching the meadows and ploughed 

 fields for food. It lives chiefly on insects, but also eats slugs, 

 worms, reptiles, and soft fruits. Its flight is rapid, and it lias 

 been seen to descend at times like the Kook or Tumbler Pigeon. 

 Its voice is said to be loud and harsh. It nestles in the hollows 

 of trees, or, when these are wanting, in holes which it digs in the 

 banks of rivers. The eggs are broadly elliptical, nearly an inch 

 and a half in length, smooth, and of a glossy white. They are 

 thus similar to those of the Kingfisher and Bee-eater ; and this 

 circumstance, together with the similarity in the mode of nest- 

 ling of these biras, indicates an affinity of structure." 



According to YAEEELL, the young birds of this species do not 

 attain to brilliant colours of plumage till their second year, pre- 

 vious to which they are dull brown above, and greyish green 

 underneath. Adult females do not differ from males in colour. 



BECHSTEIN has omitted to mention that one of the German 

 names of this bird is BircJc-keher, or the Birch- Jay. 



16. THE GOLDEN OEIOLE. 

 Oriolus Galbulu, LIN. Loriot, BUF. Der Pirol, BECH. 



Description. This bird, of which the male is exceedingly 

 beautiful, is about the size of a Blackbird, being nine inches 

 long, of which the tail measures three and a half. The 

 beak is reddish brown, one inch in length, strong, convex, and 

 the upper point, which is very sharp, bent over. The nostrils 

 are open ; the iris a greenish brown ; the feet, which are one 

 inch in height, and the toes, a dirty lead colour. The head, 

 neck, back, throat, breast, belly, sides, and under wing coverts, 

 are a beautiful golden yellow, somewhat lighter on the throat 

 and the belly, and a little inclined to green on the rump. Be- 

 tween the corner of the beak and the eye is a black spot ; the 

 eye-lids are edged with yellow ; the wings are black ; the 

 coverts of the large quill feathers edged with pale yellow, 

 which forms a yellow spot on each wing. The tail is straight, 

 and the two middle feathers quite black ; but the rest only 

 half-way from the base, and then yellow, yet in such a man- 



