62 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



stony, and then preferably under the shade of a small tree or 

 shrub, although the trees which grow in the places where these 

 birds are found give but a scanty shade. If the exact spot 

 where the bird rises from the bare ground is not noted, it is a 

 very difficult matter to find the egg, its colour harmonizing so 

 well with its surroundings. I have never known these birds to 

 rest on a tree, but always on the ground. They feed on insects, 

 which they catch while on the wing. I do not think they are 

 ever found in the scrub-covered country on the north-east coast, 

 the Caprimulgus macrurus, Large-tailed Nightjar, there taking 

 their place. A fresh egg was found by Mr. Olive on 21st 

 October, and the male bird shot as it ilew off. The egg was 

 marked in a peculiar way, being pale green all over, except 

 having one large dark spot near one end, which has the appear- 

 ance of a hole. The egg measures 1.30 x .92 inch. 



(Always in pairs, and after once being put up they were very 

 hard to find, and when on the ground can hardly be recognized 

 from the leaves and stems. They prefer camping on stony 

 ridges.) 



Oriolus affinis, Northern Oriole. 



This bird is found all over Northern Australia, but appears 

 more plentiful on the eastern side. Mr. Olive found one nest, 

 and that on 14th November, situated in an ironbark tree about 

 10 feet from the ground; it contained one egg only, the full 

 clutch being three. The open nest was suspended from a fork 

 near the end of a branch, and was outwardly composed of 

 shreds of bark and coarse grass, with a little cobweb, and lined 

 with the seed-stalks of grass. It measures — external depth, 4 

 inches; internal, 2^ inches; external diameter, 5 inches; 

 internal, 4 inches. The ground colour of the egg is light buff, 

 with large, irregular dark brown blotches on it of varying shades, 

 they being more plentiful at the larger end. Some of the 

 markings appear as if beneath the surface of the shell, they 

 being of a dark mauve. It measures 1.27 x .87 inch. 



Sphecotheres flaviventris. Yellow-bellied Fig-bird. 



These birds extend right across the northern portion of the 

 continent, and are in some places very plentiful, especially in the 

 Cooktown district, where in the open forest country they consort 

 with the Philemon buceroides (Helmeted Friar-bird) and Philemon 

 argenticeps (Silvery-crowned Friar-bird), and frequently nest in the 

 same tree ; they are lively, active birds, and very noisy, and they, 

 together with the others mentioned, when nesting in the same tree, 

 keep up a perfect babel if anyone is near. Their eggs are gener- 

 ally difficult to procure, as the nests are built at the end of a thin 

 branch. The only way I could obtain the type specimens was to 

 get a native to climb up the tree with a long, thin stick and push 



