SPHECOTHERES. 81 



Sphecotheres maxillaris. 



FIG-BlRLi. 



Turdus maxillaris, Larli., Tiul. Orn., Suppl., p. xliii., (ISOl). 



Sphecolh-.res anilr:iH!<, Gould, Bds. Austr., fol., Vol. IV., pi. 15(1848). 



Sphecotheres ma.r.iUarii, Gould, Handbk. Bds. Austr,, Vol. I., p. 4<'i7 (i860); Sliarpe, Cat. Bds. 

 Brit. .Mus., Vol. III., p. -J-:! (1877). 



Adult malk — General colour above ijellowish-yreen : upper tving-coverts like the back; primaries 

 black, externally edged with ashy-white ; secondaries black, broadly margined ivith yellowish-green on 

 their outer webs, the innermost feathers yelloicish-green on the outer irel), black i>u the inner ; tail black, 

 the lateral feathers tipped ivith tvliite ivhich increases in extent towards the outermost feather, the outer 

 tveb of the latter ichite except at the base ; crown of the head, nape, and ear-coverts black; hind neck, 

 throat, and for^'-neck leaden greif, remainder of the under surface dull yelloivis/i-f/reen ; centre of the 

 lower abdoineii and under tail-coverts white; bill black; lefs and Jeet pale feshy-b^-own; bare space 

 around the eye, and iris, red. Total length in the flesh 11 inches, wing 6',2, tail Ji.-'>, bill 0''J ', 

 tarsus 1. 



Adult female — General colour above brown: tlw loiver rump and upper tail-coverts washed 

 with greenish-olive; wings broivn, the primaries narrowly edged externally with dull ashy-white; the 

 median and greater wing-coverts and secondaries ivashed with greenish-olive on their outer luebs ; 

 tail brown, washed with greenish-olive except on the lateral feathers, ivhich are margined with white 

 at the tips of the inner ivebs ; throat, sides of the neck, and fore-neck brownish -ivhite, broadly streaked 

 with brown; remainder of the under surface ivhite, conspicuously streaked tvith broivn; centre of the 

 abdomen white,; sides 0/ the body tinged with greenish -olive; under tail-coverts white, with brown 

 shaft-streaks. Total length 11 inches, wing >J5, tail fo, bill U.j, tarsus 1. 



Distribution. — Eastern Queensland, North-eastern New South Wales. 



^"I^HE Fig-bird is a resident species, and is plentifully dispersed throughout the rich coastal 

 J_ scrubs and brushes of South-eastern Queensland and North-eastern New South Wales. 

 In the latter State, on rare occasions, specimens have been obtained as far south as the 

 neighbourhood of Sydney. 



During my visit to the Clarence River District, I found it usually in pairs, and fairly 

 numerous, frequenting chiefly the taller trees in open forest lands, or near the margin of scrubs. 

 Just about dusk, these birds would resort to the low Bean-trees ( Castanospermum australe), and 

 brushes on the river banks, uttering their peculiar parrakeet-like notes, as they playfully chased 

 each other from branch to branch. Locally, about Copmanhurst, it is known as the " Red-eye," 

 and in some parts of New South Wales and Queensland, as "Mulberry-bird," "Fig-bird," or 

 "Banana-bird," according to the different kinds of fruit it feasts upon. 



Gould describes and figures'' the bare space around the eye of the adult male of this 

 species as being pale buffy-yellow. It is this colour in the winter months, or has only a few 

 minute reddish warty excrescences on it, but during the breeding season and the summer 

 months this part is of a uniform rich red. 



The usual food of this species is derived from the many wild fruit and berry-bearing trees 

 which flourish in its haunts. Chief among these are the fruits of the different species of Ficus, 

 the native cherry, and in the northern coastal districts of New South Wales the berries of the 

 introduced ink- weed (Phytolacca octandra). Among culti\ated fruits, it chiefly attacks mulberries, 

 figs, bananas, paw-paws, loquats, and guavas. 



» Bds. Aust., fol., Vol. iv., p. 15 (184S). 



