BRITISH BIRDS. 59 



Family Oriolidae. 



GENUS XXVIII. ORIOLUS, Linnaeus (1766), 

 Bill moderately long, tolerably stout, conical and a little 

 decurved, tip of upper mandible notched. Nostrils exposed. 

 Wings rather long ; ist quill developed, 3rd longest. Tail 

 moderate, rounded. Feet rather large, tarsus short. 



72. Oriolus galbula, Linn. GOLDEN ORIOLE. 



Hab. Europe, rare in extreme S.E., in north breeding 

 to England on the west and Finland on the east ; also 

 North Africa. In winter southward to Africa. 



Male : lores black ; wings black, coverts and quills 

 tipped and edged with whitish-yellow ; tail-feathers black, 

 all except central ones having broad yellow tips ; rest of 

 plumage above and below rich bright yellow ; bill dark 

 red ; iris bright red ; tarsi slate. Length 9' 50. Female : 

 wings dark brown, with grey edges and tips to the feathers; 

 yellow of body duller and tinged with green ; breast and 

 belly striated with greyish brown ; black lores absent, 

 except in very old birds. Young : still duller than female. 



A scarce summer visitor to southern half of England, 

 particularly Cornwall, Devon, and Scilly Islands, to which 

 it appears to be an annual visitor in spring. Nest has 

 been found at intervals in nearly all the south-eastern coun- 

 ties; most recent instance being at Wicken, Cambridgeshire, 

 in 1893. Nest : suspended from small branches of trees ; 

 deep and cup-shaped ; woven of bark-strips, grass and 

 wool. Eggs : 4 or 5, glossy white, with a few spots and 

 blotches of dark red. 



Family Xianiidae. 



GENUS XXIX. LANIUS, Linnsus (1766). 

 Bill short, stout, compressed laterally ; upper mandible 

 with a pronounced tooth, and much hooked at tip ; 



