216 OOLOGICAL NOTES, 



deep cup-shaped nest of the Green-backed Oriole ( Mimeta viridis), 

 one of the most notorious orchard marauders in New South Wales, 

 From Mr. Jackson's letter accompanying this egg, I have extracted 

 the following information : — 



"While collecting on the 31st of October, 1894, in a scrub 

 near South Grafton I heard the loud and peculiar " coo-ee " of 

 Flinder's Cuckoo, and upon approaching a large "Box-tree" 

 (Eucalyiotus robusta), I observed in it a pair of Eudynamis 

 cyanocejiliala, the female being perclied close to a nest of Mimtta 

 viridis. Thinking perhaps that the Cuckoo had laid in it, I 

 climbed the tree, and found that the nest contained three fresh 

 eggs of the Oriole; these I left and descended to the ground. The 

 female Cuckoo, which I had frightened away when starting to 

 climb the tree, now returned, and calling to her mate both sat 

 near the nest. After watching them for a few minutes the male 

 flew away, and to my joy the female took possession of the 

 Oriole's nest. I did not leave the spot, but sat down in the shade 

 of the Eucalyptus, and after waiting about half-an-hour got up 

 and suddenly clapped my hands, but she would not leave the 

 nest. I started again to climb the tree, when off she flew and 

 never returned. Upon reaching the nest, and making a further 

 examination of its contents, I was greatly delighted to find that 

 in addition to the three eggs of the Oriole it now contained the 

 previously unknown egg of Flinder's Cuckoo. During the time 

 the Cuckoo had possession of the Oriole's nest both the male and 

 the female of the latter sat in the tree, but did not interfere with 

 the occupant of the nest." 



The egg of Fudywcmis cyanocephala is oval in form and of a 

 pale reddish-salmon ground colour, minutely dotted and spotted 

 with different shades of reddish and purplish-brown, the latter 

 colour predominating and appearing as if beneath the surface of 

 the shell; the smaller end of the egg is more sparingly marked, 

 but towards its thicker axis are a few small blotches of umber 

 brown. There are many indistinct underlying blotches and 

 smears of dull purplish- brown, of which the largest is a longitu- 

 dinal marking measuring I'l inch in length by 0-4 inch in 



