GOLDEN ORIOLE. 3 
by the branching boughs of a tall tree, to which it is firmly 
attached. It is made of stalks of grass, small roots, and 
wool, cleverly interwoven together, and is lined with the finer 
portions of the materials. The one taken in Kent, alluded 
to before, is described by J. B. Ellman, Hsq., of Rye, in the 
‘Zoologist,’ page 2496, as having been suspended from the 
extreme end of the topmost bough of an oak, and composed 
entirely of wool, carefully bound together with dried grass. 
The eggs are commonly’ four or five in number, of a white 
colour, sometimes with a tinge of purple, and a few spots of 
black, brownish black, or grey, and claret colour. 
Male; length, nine inches and a half; bill, ight brownish 
red, flattened at the base, and laterally compressed at the 
tip: the upper bill is nearly straight at the base, and gently 
arched towards the tip; there is a prominent ridge along it; 
it as toothed near the extremity. Iris, red—the space between 
it and the eye is black; head, crown, neck on the back and 
in front, and on the sides, and the nape bright yellow. Chin, 
throat, and breast, bright yellow. The wings, when closed, 
reach to within an inch of the end of the tail; the greater 
wing coverts have their tips and margins yellow; lesser wing 
coverts, yellow; primaries, secondaries, and tertiaries, black, 
their tips yellow, excepting those of the two outer primaries, 
and the outer margins of all, excepting the first, are also 
yellow; underneath, the wing feathers are greyish black; the 
first quill feather is not halfso long as the second, the second 
not so long as the fourth, but longer than the fifth, the 
third the longest; greater and lesser under wing coverts, yellow. 
The tail, which is slightly rounded, is black, excepting the 
two middle feathers, which are greenish yellow at the base, 
and yellow on the terminal edge, and the outer feathers, 
which are yellow from the tips to the middle on the outer 
webs; underneath, the black feathers are greyish black; upper 
tail coverts, bright yellow; under tail coverts, also bright 
yellow. Legs and toes, bluish grey; claws, light brownish 
red. 
It is to be observed that the male bird does not attain 
the brilliant yellow plumage until the third year: its beautiful 
colours ‘grow with its growth.’ 
In the female the bill is also light brownish red: the black 
streak between it and the eye is wanting. Forehead, yellow, 
with a tinge of green; head, crown, and neck on the back, 
yellowish green—in front the latter is pale yellowish grey, 
