XESrS A.VD EGGS Oh AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. 85 



Nest. — Open, shallow; thinly but firmly coustruct€d of fine lengthened 

 twigs upon a foundation of x-ine tendrils ; generally situated in a hori- 

 zontal fork at the extremity of a branch. Dimensions over all, 7 inches 

 by 2 J inches in depth; egg cavity, 4 inches across by l:j inches deep. 

 (See illustration.) 



The contents of a nest may be easily seen from beneath. Nesls in 

 small families, and sometimes interspersed with those of Orioles. 



Ei/ys. — Clutch, three ; inclined to oval in form ; texture of shell 

 moderately fine; surface glossy; colour, dull or warmish-green, sometimes 

 bluish-green, spotted and blotched with rufous or reddish-brown and dull 

 purplish-brown, the edges of the former class of markings having a bhu-red 

 appearance. These eggs are exceedingly beautiful. Dimensions in inches 

 of a pair: (1) 1-35 x "93, (2) 128 x -95; of a full clutch: (1) 1-27 x -86, 

 (2) 1-21 X -BS, (3) 1-19 X -88. 



Observations. — The Sphecotheres or Fig Birds appear to have affinity 

 to the Orioles, and have been found breeding in company with them. 

 They have a greenish-coloured coat tipped with black. A naiTow space 

 of naked skin, dull-yellow in coloiu", surrounds the eyes ; tliroat, chest, 

 and back of neck are grey ; flanks and abdomen yellowish-green. Tlie 

 female is plainer coloured, like an Oriole. The various dimensions are 

 .--iinihir to those given for the Oriole. 



Gould shot a bird of the species under notice at the mouth of the 

 Hunter River, which is probably its most southern limit, and although 

 called the Southern Fig Bird, it ranges well northward, even to perhaps 

 the Northern Tenitory. 



Mr. R. D. Fitzgerald first discovered the eggs of the Fig Bird in, the 

 Richmond River district, November, 1886, which he subsequently 

 described. I believe Fig Birds have been actually seen nesting in the tall 

 trees in the township of Grafton, Clarence River. 



On the 8th November Mr. Grime found, fui-ther north, on the Tweed 

 River, a second nest containing two eggs, which were forwarded to the 

 Australian Museum, Sydney, with interesting particulars, which I take 

 from the " Records : " — 



" 1 have foimd two nests this season of .S'. ma.nl/aris. They were built 

 in each instance in the ' swamp tea-tree,' at a height of about forty feet 

 from the gi'ouud; the nests are attached by the brim to the thin branches 

 of an outspreading bough, and what sui-prises me is how the eggs are not 

 shaJjen out of the nest by the wind. The last nest I found, after chmbing 

 the tree to the limb on which the nest was placed, I reached out as far 

 as I could on it and attached a piece of rope, and then drew the limb to 

 the main trunk and secured it ; tliis brought the nest nearer, but above 

 my head, so when I climbed fuiiher up I could reach it. There were tlu'ee 

 eggs in the nest, but I broke one Ijefore reaching the ground." 



I am indebted to Mr. S. W. Jackson for a pair of these eggs. The 

 following is the data accompanying them : — 



" The eggs I forwax'ded you of the Southern Sphecotheres I foimd last 

 season, on December 12th (1894). Tlie nest was built at the end of a 

 long Umb of an ironbark tree, and was about twenty-six feet from the 



