STURNID^E. 77 



cherries, mulberries, &c., but at the same time they eat cater- 

 pillars and other insects. 



Almost entirely a fruit-eating bird ; those who have kept them 

 alive informed me that they could not preserve them through the 

 winter nor, indeed, longer than fruit was to be obtained. 



When the Japanese loquats (Eriolotrya japonica) were ripe in 

 my garden at Gibraltar in May 1870, Golden Orioles remained 

 about as long as the loquats lasted, but would not admit of much 

 observation, as they were very shy and difficult to watch. They 

 are more often heard than seen ; and I have spent hours in 

 trying to get a shot as they skulked in the thickest foliage of tall 

 trees, continually piping their flute-like note. 



Some are always to be heard during May near the Mill and the 

 " Second Veuta " in the Cork-wood ; and a pair usually frequented 

 the lower part of the First Pine-wood. I found one nest in the 

 middle of May, built at the very extremity of a bough at the top 

 of a high oak tree, which was impossible to obtain without 

 cutting the branch off. Verner remarks also that the Golden 

 Oriole has a habit of, when disturbed, flying into the thickest 

 green-foliaged tree, not settling on cork-trees, in which the 

 foliage is scanty. 



Male. Head and general colour golden yellow. Black spot between 

 crimson eye and dull red bill ; wings black, with yellow tips to secondaries. 

 Tail : outer feathers with more than terminal half yellow. 



Female. Greenish yellow above ; outer tail-feathers tipped with yellow. 

 1 have never seen a female Golden Oriole in same plumage as male. 



Young. Greenish yellow above ; below whitish tinged with yellow ; 

 breast slightly streaked with brown ; the black parts of adult male replaced 

 by greenish brown. Length 9 inches. 



STURNID53. 



68. Sturnus vulg-aris, Linnaeus. The Common Starling. 



Moorish. Zarzor. Spanish. Estornino. 



" This bird arrives about Tangier in large flights from October 



