ORIOLLIS, Lin.,,E4c. ORIOLE.
Bill in the form of a lengthened cone, horizontally corn pressed at the base, and sharp-edged, the upper mandible surmounted by a ridge, notched at the point ; nostrils ba sal, lateral, naked, and horizontally pierced in a large membrane; tarsus shorter than, or of the same length as, the middle toe, the outer united to the latter ; wings of mo derate dimensions, with the first quill very short, and the second shorter than the third.
The birds included within the reduced limits of this ge neric term, inhabit the woods and thickets of the old con tinent, living in pairs, and migrating in families. They feed on berries, soft fruits, and insects. The prevailing colour in the plumage of the males is yellow, and of the females greenish, or dull yellow. The young, in their first stage, resemble the females.
0. galbula, Lin. &c. Golden oriole, or Itritwall. Body and tip of the tail gold-yellow ; wings, tail, and ccrc, black. There are several marked varieties in different quarters of 'the world, as the Black-headed, and the Mottled, at Ma dras, the Chinese and the Indian.
In France, and other parts of the European continent, the golden oriole summers and breeds, appearing in the neighbourhood of Paris about the end of May, and depart ing in the beginning of September. On their first arrival, they arc so exhausted and emaciated, that they allow the fowler to approach within gunshot of them, as they arc feeding on insects. Yet, soon after, they commence pair ing. In Malta, they are observed in September, on their passage to more southern regions; returning the same way in spring, to their northerly abodes. According to Retzius, they visit even Swedish Finland about the end of May, and retire in September ; whereas, in England, there are not many well authenticated instances of their appear ance. They live on caterpillars, worms, insects, berries, and other fruits, and are particularly fond of cherries.
Their nest is a neat, and highly finished structure, sup ported by the edge or rim, having the appearance of a shallow purse or basket, suspended from the forked ex tremity of some slender branch. Wreathing the two branches of the fork round with straws, grasses, or other vegetable fibres, suited to the purpose, the bird at length connects the two extremities of the fork, in order to form the verge of the nest ; then, continuing the straws of the one side to the other, giving the whole a proper depth, and crossing and interweaving the materials, as the work proceeds, forms the general basket, or concavity, which is afterwards thickened with the stems of the finer grasses, intermixed with mosses and lichens; and, finally, lined with still more delicate substances, as the silken bags of the chrysalids of moths, down, spiders' webs, &c. On this luxurious couch the female deposits four or five eggs, of a dirty white, scattered with small blackish-brown spots, which are most numerous at the larger end. The incu bation lasts twenty-one days. The parents fetch caterpil lars, by tcn or a dozen at a time, to their nascent proge ny, in whose defence they will boldly fly in the face of danger. The hen bird has sometimes submitted to be captured along with the nest, and died in the act of incu bation. This beautiful bird has a loud, shrill, and rather a disagreeable note, preceded by a sort of mewing. It is tamed with considerable difficulty, and seldom survives two years in captivity, being generally carried off by a goutish affection in the feet. When fattened with its fa vourite fruits, as figs, grapes, cherries, &c. it is deemed a delicacy at table.