Vol. II 

 190 



,, ■~] Le Souef, Birds' -eggs from Northern Aicstralia. 87 



community, have a wide range, but the eggs of those in Northern 

 Australia are smaller than those in the south. They are 

 curiously marked with a few longitudinal spots of either brown 

 or purple on the apex of the larger end of the ^^^ only; the 

 markings often look as if they had been painted on the bluish- 

 white surface. They are slightly glossy, and measure — A, 1.14 

 X .71 ; B, (i) 1.2 X .68, (2) 1.7 X .67, (3) 1.9 x .6^ inches. The 

 dates, 1 6th November and 3rd December. 



Oriolus AFFINIS (Northern Oriole). 



Cat. B. Brit. Mus., vol. iii., p. 188. 

 One nest of this bird was found on 17th November, and it 

 contained a full clutch of three eggs, the open nest being 

 suspended from a fork near the end of a branch and made of 

 coarse grass. The eggs are cream colour, with blotches of 

 purplish-brown, especially on the apex of the larger end, and 

 purple markings under the surface. They are slightly glossy, 

 and measure — (i) 1.30 x .84; (2) 1.28 x .88; (3) 1.27 x .88 

 inches. 



Oriolus flavicinctus (Yellow Oriole). 



Cat. B. Brit. Mus., vol. iii., p. 206. 

 These birds also build a hanging, open nest of grass, fastened 

 to a fork near the end of a branch, and they are plentiful in 

 certain districts in Northern Australia. The ground colour of 

 the eggs is light cream, in some cases almost white ; the slightly 

 glossy surface is marked with dark brown spots, in many cases 

 almost black, and they are mostly plentiful at the larger end, 

 occasionally forming an irregular zone ; beneath the surface 

 appear purple markings. The eggs of these birds are easily 

 distinguishable from those of the Northern Oriole, as they are 

 not blotched like the former, but spotted. The clutch consists 

 of two only. The following are the dates on which some were 

 found : — i6th, 20th, 30th November; ist, 6th, 7th (2), 8th, 12th, 

 13th, 1 8th, 24th December; and 3rd January. Six clutches 

 measure — A, (i) 1.44 x .96, (2) 1.38 x .92 ; B, (i) 1.38 x .90, 

 (2) 1.41 X .95 ; C, (i) 1.30 X .90 (2) 1.20 X .86; D, (i) 1.35 x .86, 

 (2; 1.25 x .88 ; E, (i) 1.22 X .91, (2) 1.25 X .93 inches. 



Sphecotheres FLAVIVENTRIS (Yellow-bellied Fig-Bird). 

 Cat. B. Brit. Mus., vol. iii., p. 225. 

 The open, shallow nests of these noisy birds are built of 

 dark-coloured tendrils, through which the eggs can be seen from 

 below, and are generally situated towards the end of a branch 

 of some tall eucalyptus tree, and difficult to get at. The clutch 

 is usually two, and the eggs are of an olive -green colour, with 

 brown markings, which are usually most plentiful on the larger 

 end, sometimes forming an irregular zone ; occasionally an €:^^ 

 is speckled all over. The dates on which four clutches were 



