week. We visited the place in the hope of discovering a nest, but were unsuc-
cessful.

In Ireland it has chiefly occurred on the east coast, most of the examples
being females, or immature males; a specimen was recorded as shot in the Faroe
Islands, in May, 1893, by Col. H. W. Feilden. In June, 1906, one was killed
by a cat on the Marine Parade at Brighton. Perhaps the nearest point to
London at which it has been recognized, was noted in the "Zoologist" for 1892,
an example having apparently been seen in Richmond Park.

The male of this species is bright gamboge-yellow, the lores, wings (excepting
the terminal third of the primary-coverts) and a great part of the tail black; the
primaries, excepting the two outermost, are edged externally, and the secondaries
are tipped with yellowish-white; the two central tail-feathers are yellowish at the
base, and yellow at the tip, and the other feathers have the terminal third of the
outer webs, and borders of the inner webs yellow; bill reddish-ochreous; feet
leaden-grey; iris bright red. The female is much duller than the male, greener,
and with the black colouring replaced by deep brown; the throat, breast, and
centre of belly whitish; the throat, breast, and flanks streaked with greyish.
Young birds are greener and browner than the female, but otherwise similar;
nestlings have the upper parts olivaceous, spotted with yellow.

The Golden Oriole frequents gardens, groves, plantations, thickets, and the
outskirts of large woods, especially in the neighbourhood of water; it seems to
prefer the haunts of man, yet is so shy that it rarely remains in view for more
than a minute as it flies rapidly, in somewhat Thrush-like, though more undulating
fashion, from cover to cover; choosing ever the densest foliage, as if aware of the
perilous brilliance of its plumage: possibly it may slowly be acquiring a hereditary
knowledge of the fact that, if but a glimpse is obtained of it, an attempt at least
is made to put an end to its life; or if it fails to comprehend so much, it may
inherit a dread of the thunder and lightning which, for generations, have heralded
its appearance: birds are not naturally fearful of man ; for even those which have
been taught by their parents to dread him, can be generally converted by gentleness
and petting: moreover the fact that a grown man can tame a small bird, whereas
even the tamest will always show the greatest fear of a little boy, certainly seems
to prove that the instinctive dread of the monkey-nature in the latter is deeply
implanted in all birds; just as is that of a cat, even though that animal may
never have been seen by the bird previously.*
