PASSERES. 



Fam. ORIOLID.E. 



Bill rather long, wide at the base ; culmen curved towards the tip, which is distinctly notched. 

 Nostrils exposed, linear in form, placed in front of the base of the bill and near the margin of 

 the mandible. Tarsus considerably longer than the middle toe. Feet small. 



Sternum narrow in front, widening posteriorly, wi,th a deep pointed notch in each half of 

 the posterior edge ; the posterior part of the opening almost united. 



Genus OEIOLTJS. 

 Bill with the characters of the family. Wings rather long, the 4th quill the longest ; the 

 difference between the secondaries and primaries less than half the length of the tail. Tarsus 

 stout, covered in front with broad transverse scales. Feet rather small ; the lateral toes unequal, 

 the outer one joined at the base to the inner. 



OKIOLUS DIFFUSUS. 



(THE BLACK-NAPED INDIAN ORIOLE.) 



Oriolus sinensis, Swains. An. in Menag. p. 342 (sub 0. coronatus). 



Oriolus chinensis (nee Linn.), Jerd. Cat. B. S. India, Madr. Journ. 1859, x. p. 262 ; Swinhoe, 



P. Z. S. 1871, p. 374 ; Hume, Str. Feath. 1874, p. 477. 

 Oriolus indicus, Jerd. 111. Ind. Orn. pi. 15 (1847) ; Blyth, Cat. B. Mus. A. S. B. p. 216 (1849); 



Layard et Kelaart, Prodromus, Cat. Birds Ceylon, App. p. 58 (1853); Horsf. & Moore, 



Cat. B. Mas. E. I. Co. i. p. 270 (1854) ; Layard, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. 1854, xiii. 



p. 124 ; Holdsw. P. Z. S. 1872, p. 452 ; Blyth & Walden, B. Burm. p. 139 (1875). 

 Oriolus diffusits, Sharpe, Cat. Birds, iii. p. 197 (1877). 



Adult male and female. Length 9*5 to 1O0 inches ; wing 5 - S to 6-3 ; tail 4 - to 4-1 ; tarsus 09 ; mid toe - 8, claw 

 (straight) 0-3 ; bill to gape 1'4, width at nostrils 0-45. 



These measurements are taken from a series of examples in the British Museum ; the wings of the two examples 



procured by Layard in Ceylon measure 6*1 and 6'5 respectively; these are now in the Poole collection. 

 " Iris rich blood-red ; bill pinky red ; legs and feet plumbeous " (Jerdon). 



Male. Forehead, as far back as the centre of the crown, throat, entire neck, upper and under surface of body, including 

 the upper and under tail-coverts and the underwing bright yellow, as also the lesser wing-coverts, the outer webs 

 of the greater coverts, and the terminal portion of all but the central tail-feathers ; tips of the primary-coverts 

 and edge of wing paler yellow than the aforesaid parts, and the outer webs of the secondaries marked with the 

 same as follows — the entire web of the innermost and those of the remaining feathers decreasing gradually to an 

 edging on the outermost ; primaries marked with a still narrower margin ; lores, a space above and behind the 

 eye, posterior part of crown, occiput, and nape, as also the wings and tail, with the exception of the parts above 

 named, jet-black. 



Female. Back and scapulars slightly tinged with olivaceous. 



Young. Bill dusky or dingy pinkish. 



Upper surface with the scapulars and those parts of the wing which are bright vellow in the adult duskv greenish 



2z2 



