XIII. 



ORIOLUS GALBULA. (linn.) 



Golden Oriole. 



The Golden Oriole, though an occasional visitor, does not 

 breed in this country. It is, however, abundant in France, 

 and various parts of the Continent, all the year. I have not 

 myself seen it in its usual haunts, and shall, therefore, give 

 the following description from Shaw''s Zoology, which is the 

 most minute, and with which other authors agree ; the sub- 

 stance of which is as follows : — " The Golden Oriole is re- 

 markable for constructing its nest upon a different principle 

 from those of the generality of European birds, supporting it 

 only by the edge or rim, so that it bears the appearance of a 

 shallow purse or basket. It generally builds in high trees, 

 but places the nest in rather a low part of the tree, upon the 

 forked extremity of some slender branch. It is formed of 

 straws, grasses, or other vegetable fibres proper for the pur- 

 pose, thickened with the stems of finer grasses, intermixed 

 with mosses and lichens, and lined with finer materials, as 

 the silk bags of chrysalides of moths, the egg-bags of spiders, 

 feathers, &c. The number of eggs is four or five. — Plate 13. 



