GOLDEN ORIOLE.
ORIOLUS GALBULA, L im .
Oriolus galbula, Linn. S. N. i. p. 160 (1760); Naum. ii.
p. 171; Macg. ii. p. 7 3 ; Hewitson, i. p. 94 ; Yarr. ed. 4,
i. p. 233; Dresser, iii. p. 365.
Loriot, French; Kirsch-Pirol, German; Oropendola,
Spanish.
This beautiful species is one of the many summer
visitors to the continent of Europe, which, as I am firmly
persuaded, only requires protection and encouragement
to become tolerably common with us. At present it is
an annual visitor, in small numbers, to our eastern and
southern counties, and has been known to breed in
England on several occasions; but most of the records
of its appearance in our islands are accompanied by the
statement that the specimen is in the hands of some
“ taxidermist,” these artists being, with few exceptions,
always ready to give a good price, and demand a much
better one, for an Oriole, or, indeed, any unfortunate
and uncommon straggler to our shores.
I have met with the Golden Oriole in many parts of
Europe and in Algeria, but nowhere in such abundance
as in the immediate neighbourhood of Madrid; it
frequents woods and groves, but in my experience avoids
thick forests ; it is rather a shy bird, and much more
frequently heard than seen. Its favourite food is fruit
of many kinds, especially figs, cherries, and mulberries;
but it is, to my knowledge, also a great destroyer of
caterpillars.