GOLDEN ORIOLE 191 



oured — dull green above, the under parts streaked 

 with grey. This species winters in Africa, migrating 

 to southern and central Europe in the spring, and 

 occasionally breeding in the British Islands. All the 

 family have sweet, flute-like voices. See Plate 11, 

 Fig. 51. 



The nest of the Golden Oriole is a very cleverly 

 made, cradle-like structure of bark, wool, and grass- 

 stems, woven together and suspended beneath the 

 fork of a small branch of a tree. 



The American family is a large one, embracing a 

 hundred and fifty species, or more, most of which 

 make their home in the tropics. They differ struc- 

 turally from the Old World Orioles, as well as in 

 many of their habits, but, like them, feed upon insects, 

 fruit, and seeds. They are found in widely different 

 localities, frequenting woodlands, plains, and marshes, 

 showing much adaptability to environment. Certain 

 species are fine singers, while others have harsh and 

 disagreeable voices. 



The most conspicuous member of the family is the 

 Baltimore Oriole, found quite abundantly throughout 

 eastern North America. The head, throat, upper part 

 of the back, and middle tail-feathers are black, some 

 of the wing- feathers are edged with white, and the rest 

 of the plumage is a rich orange colour. 



Like the Old World Oriole, this bird builds a sus- 

 pended nest of grasses, bark, hair, and so on, near the 

 end of a small branch. The work of constructing the 

 nest seems to be done by the female, the male bird 

 assisting her by bringing some of the material used. 



