GOLDEN ORIOLE. 



ORIOLUS GALBULA, Linn. 



Oriolus galbula, Linn. S. N. i. p. 160 (1760) ; Naum. ii. 

 p. 171 • Macff. ii. p. 73 ; Hewitson, i. p. 94 ; Yarr. ed. 4, 

 i. p. 233; Dresser, iii. p. 365. 



Loriot, French ; Kirsch-Pirol, German ; Oropendola, 

 Spanish. 



r This beautiful species is one of the many summer 

 visitors to the continent of Europe, which, as I am firmly 

 persuaded, only requires protection and encouragement 

 to become tolerably common with us. At present it is 

 an annual visitor, in small numbers, to our eastern and 

 southern counties, and has been known to breed in 

 England on several occasions ; but most of the records 

 of its appearance in our islands are accompanied by the 

 statement that the specimen is in the hands of some 

 " taxidermist," these artists being, with few exceptions, 

 always ready to give a good price, and demand a much 

 better one, for an Oriole, or, indeed, any unfortunate 

 and uncommon straggler to our shores. 



I have met with the Golden Oriole in many parts of 

 Europe and in Algeria, but nowhere in such abundance 

 as in the immediate neighbourhood of Madrid ; it 

 frequents woods and groves, but in my experience avoids 

 thick forests ; it is rather a shy bird, and much more 

 frequently heard than seen. Its favourite food is fruit 

 of many kinds, especially figs, cherries, and mulberries ; 

 but it is, to my knowledge, also a great destroyer of 

 caterpillars. 



