01U0LU8 VliiiDIS. 



(Green Oriole.) 



Head and all the upper surface, jellowish olive; primaries, blackish brown, narrowly margined on the external webs with light grey; 

 secondaries, tertiaries, and spurious wing, margined and tipped with whitish grey ; under surface, white, washed with olive yellow on the 

 sides of the chest, and m.irked with a tear-shaped spot of black down the centre of each feather ; tail, grey — all but the two central 

 feathers largely tipped with white on the inner webs, and the inner webs softening from deep black next the shaft into grey at the margins ; 

 bill, light reddish brown ; irides, reddish orange ; feet, grey. 



Length, lOf inches ; wing, 6f ; tail, 4f ; bill, 1\ ; tarsus, |. 



This species is confined to the colonies of New South Wales and Queensland, being tolerably plentiful in some localities. 

 Though known to feed upon insects, it is to be regarded as a genuine fruit eater. It is particularly partial to the wild fig, and, in situations 

 where that tree abounds, may often be seen feeding in company with other birds of similar habits ; it will also, at times, show its appreciation 

 of the cultivated fruits introduced by the settler, and visits the gardens to satisfy its appetite, whether natural or acquired. It has a variety* 

 of pleasing notes, and often imitates those of other birds. It forms its nest of shreds of stringy bark or tea-tree bark, lining the same with 

 filaments from the oak (casuarina), or grass and hair. The nest is generally placed in the fork of a horizontal bough, without much regard 

 to concealment. Eggs, from two to four ; color, creamy white, spotted and blotched with umber brown, sepia brown, and light grey, most 

 thickly disposed on the larger end : size, 1 i inch by |. The breeding season is from September to January. 



ORIOLUS AEEINIS. 



(Allied Oriole.) 



This species belongs to the northern portions of Australia. It needs no separate description, being so similar to the former. The points in 

 which it differs are the following : The body is smaller, the wing shorter, the bill larger, and the white tips of the tail feathers of smaller 

 extent. It has a fine voice, very varied and pleasing. The nest was found by G-ilbert, in the month of December, and was attached to the 

 drooping branch of a tea-tree, at the distance of about five feet from the ground ; it was large and deep, formed of narrow strips of tea-tree 

 bark, mingled with a few twigs, and lined w4th fine wiry twigs. Eggs, bluish white, sparsely spotted with dark brown and bluish grey : 

 size, li inch by |. 



ORIOLUS ELAVOCINCTUS. 



(Crescent-marJced Oriole.) 



-^- 



Hkad and all the upper surface, yellowish olive; a stripe of black runs through the feathers of the crown, and a wedge-shaped mark of black 

 down the centre of the feathers of the back and scapularies ; under surface, lighter and brighter than the upper ; under tail coverts, yellow ; 

 wings, black— all the feathers margined with greenish yellow, and tipped with pale yellow^ ; two central feathers of tail, dull blackish olive, 

 the rest much darker, and broadly tipped with yellow ; bill, dark flesh color, tipped with greenish ; feet, greenish lead color ; irides, red. 



Length, 11^ inches ; w4ng, 5| ; tail, 4| ; bill, li ; tarsus, |. 



The female is rather smaller than the male : her wings are marked with lighter yellow, and she has the under surface streaked 

 with black. 



This handsome species is a constant resident at Cape York. It has also beeii found on the opposite or western side of the 

 Grulf of Carpentaria, where it was originally discovered by Captain King, during his survey of that portion of the coast ; Grilbert also 

 procured it in the neighborhood of Port Essington. Information respecting its habits and nidification are at present wanting, but will 

 probably be soon supplied by the Messrs. Cockerill and Thorpe, at present (1868) engaged in the study and collection of the birds of the 

 northern portion of the Cape York peninsula. 



