THE GOLDEN ORIOLE. 
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and low brushwood, and the Bullfinches always preferred the 
latter. I certainly have often found their nests in tall bushes, 
and sometimes in trees ; but they were always placed at so low 
an elevation, that the height of the tree or bush had no effect 
on that of the nest. 
The bird next on our list is rather variable in its nesting. 
The Golden Oriole (Oriolus galbula ) is seldom seen in 
England, and its nest even more seldom. Every year, however, 
a few stray nests are built in this country, as there are few years 
in which the journals devoted to natural history do not contain a 
notice of the bird being seen, and occasionally of its nest being 
found. In the warmer parts of the continent it is plentiful, and 
in Italy is regularly exposed in the markets towards the middle 
of autumn, when it has indulged in fruit for some time and has 
become very plump and fat. 
In this condition it is well known to epicures under the name 
of Becquafiga, corrupted into Beccafico. It is not easily procured, 
as it is a very wary bird, and does not like to venture far from 
covert In the autumn, however, its love of fruit conquers its 
fear of man, and it haunts the orchard in numbers, making no 
small havoc among the fruit. Even under such circumstances 
it is not easy of approach, and the gunner will seldom manage 
to secure his prey except by imitating its peculiar and flute-like 
notes. He must, however, be very careful in his mimicry, for 
the bird has a critical ear, and if it detects the imitator, is sure 
to slip through the foliage and fly off to its forest stronghold. 
The nest of the Golden Oriole is always placed near the 
extremity of a branch, and in some cases is so constructed that it 
almost deserves to be ranked among the pensiles. It is always a 
pretty nest, and the accompanying illustration conveys a good 
idea of its general form. It is always more or less cup-like in 
shape, but the comparative depth of the cup is very variable, as 
in some cases it is scarcely deeper in proportion than that of the 
goldfinch, and rather saucer-shaped, while in others the depth 
even exceeds the width. Perhaps the nest may be altered in 
shape after the female begins to deposit her eggs, as is known to 
