THE ORIOLE. 51 



intermediate between a starling and a weaver-bird, 

 while the real Orioles have a form and style pecuUarly 

 their own. It must be confessed that the American 

 birds are much more interesting ; they also tend to 

 range northwards more than do the Old World 

 Orioles, and hence help to enliven the United States 

 to a very great extent, some of the most brilliant and 

 common birds there belonging to this troupial family. 

 We might have more brilliant birds in England if 

 we could only let them alone ; I have already alluded 

 to the persecution of our one Oriole, and even the 

 green woodpecker is oftener seen in a bird stuffer's 

 shop window than on a tree in the open ! As the 

 Oriole is one of the brightest birds I am dealing with, 

 I may perhaps be allowed to conclude with an 

 earnest appeal to all Anglo-Indians to help in the 

 preservation of beautiful birds, which exist in every 

 coimtry under difficulties, both from natural enemies 

 and from man. The plain-coloured species can take 

 care of themselves out here at any rate ; but beauty 

 is everywhere a fatal gift to the lower animals, and 

 it is very much to be hoped that the recent enactment 

 will preserve against the export of skins the more 

 brilliant kinds whose danger is the greatest. Even 

 about Calcutta we have in the larger kingfisher, the 

 blue-jay, the golden-backed woodpecker, and the 

 subject of the present chapter, a quartette of birds 



