GOLDEN 
0 in OLE. 
OllIOLUS GALBULA. 
Though abundant in some parts of the continent, and formerly of more frequent occurrence in the 
3ritish Islands, this species is now only a rare visitor to our shores, and the reception given to those 
that make their appearance renders a lengthened stay almost an impossibility. Several pairs have been 
mown to nest during the last thirty years; hut the numbers of these summer residents have lately decreased, 
and the majority of their old haunts are now entirely deserted. From personal observation, I can say 
hut little concerning these attraetive and interesting birds, about half a dozen specimens being all that 
have come under my notice. 
In the summer of 1852, a pair of Golden Orioles constructed their carefully huilt cradle in a lar^-e 
garden near Norwich, and an egg I was enabled to obtain from this nest still remains in my possession. 
le bright-coloured male proved exceedingly mindful concerning his own safetv, though occasionally 
showing himself more conspicuously in early morning shortly after daybreak. The nest was placed amono- 
the dense foliage on the wide-spreading and drooping limbs of a weeping ash, at the height of about 
en or twelve feet from the ground. On April 12th, 1851., I caught sight of a male and female flyin- 
across the garden at Catsfield House, near Battle, in Sussex, and noticed them alighting for a few 
minutes m a large bushy thorn tree. Though a careful watch was kept around the adjacent woods and 
p antations by all our keepers and gardeners for several days, in order to learn if the strangers had 
a -cn^ up their quarters in the district, we could gain no further tidings concerning their movements. 
lor over twenty years I never obtained a glimpse of an Oriole, and it was not till the 18th of 
pri , 1872, while driving between Shoreham and Lancing, that a fine male was observed in the act of 
pcic ing on the thorn-hedge along the old road running close to the coast-line and now partly washed 
away by the encroaehment of the sea. The bird shortly moved on and kept steadily makiim his wav 
hX -fter a flight of a hundred yards or so he would settle again on the 
lough lepeatedly disturbed by carts and persons on foot, bo still held a line along the coast 
i^Tf ’• 1 ’ to the quick-set by 
adside, and again resuming his journey towards the east. After following and watchiim Ids move 
sTe" ^ -T handsome waiiderer as t 
During the next few years, though none came under my own observation, two or throe males 
u ere seen and a couple shot within half a dozen miles of Brighton. One of these was followed by a 
friend, who thought I wanted a specimen of a male, for several hours about the hedges near BlaL" 
mgton, while he seid a message to summon me to the spot. Being absent on the downs between 
almei and Levies, only learned too late what had occurred; and a day or two after, the bird was 
shot by a policeman and, after having been brought up for my inspection, was sold to a dealer. The 
