THE ORIOLE. 49 



we take the birds into domesticatioD, we find that 

 the females, in which these decorations were 

 rudimentary or absent, proceed to develop them in 

 imitation of their lords, quite independently of our 

 selection. And if we deliberately breed for big- 

 combed fowls, the hens will run the cocks very close 

 indeed in the matter of head-dress. 



But to get back to our Orioles ; their young are 

 cradled ia an excellent nest, cup-shaped and firmly 

 laced into a fork high up in a tree, and they emerged 

 from white eggs spotted with black, this tj^e of egg 

 being a family one with them. They feed on fruit 

 and insects, and are thorough tree-birds, never 

 seen on the ground, and not making themselves, 

 conspicuous when perched. The chief indication of 

 the Oriole's presence among us is his beautiful liquid 

 whistle, and the occasional appearance of the bird 

 in his leisurely flight from one tree to another. Such 

 are the habits of Orioles in general, and they seem; 

 a thriving race, for they spread from Australia to- 

 the British Isles, where one species, the Golden. 

 Oriole {Oriolus galhula), an even more beautiful bird 

 than the subject of this article, has bred, but cannot 

 establish itself on account of persecution. This 

 Oriole is a rare wiater- visitor to our North-West, but 

 has a resident relative ranging all over India, which, 

 closely resembles it — ^the yellow-headed mango-bird 



F, EC 4 



