SPHECOTHERES AUSTRALIS. 



(Australian Sphecotheres.) 



Male— Crown of the head, nape of the neck, and ear coverts, jet black ; back of the neck, dark grey ; back and upper tail coverts, bright 

 yellowish olive ; throat and upper part of the chest, grey, softening into yellowish olive on the flanks and abdomen ; shoulders, coverts, and 

 tertiaries, yellowish olive ; the inner webs of the latter, blackish grey, softening into whitish grey at the outer edges of the underlying 

 feathers ; primaries and spurious wing, black, edged with grey ; the four central tail feathers, black, slightly tipped with brownish black ; the 

 remaining feathers of the tail are more or less white, the outermost of all being entirely white on the outer webs ; ventral feathers and under 

 tail coverts, white ; bare skin round the eye, and a narrow line to the nostrils bright red ; irides, brownish red ; feet, brownish yellow ; bill, 

 black. 



Female — Head, whitish brown, each feather with a strong brown line down the centre ; neck and upper part of the back, dull 

 olive brown; wings, dull olive broAvn, each feather margined with whitish buff; primaries, brownish black, margined with whitish buif; throat, 

 chest, and abdomen, dull white, each feather having a broad longitudinal streak of brown ; rump and tail, dull olive, the three outer pairs of 

 feathers being tipped with dull white, and margined with a fine line of the same on the inner web. 



Length, llf inches ; wing, 6 ; tail, 4i ; bill, li ; tarsus, 1. 



This bird inhabits the dense scrubs of Queensland. Its food consists of wild figs and other fruits. It occasionally visits 

 gardens, and is excessively fond of mulberries. It is to be seen associated with various other frugivorous birds, such as the Eegent-bird, 

 Satin-bird, &c. 



SPHECOTHERES FLAVIVENTRIS. 



(Yellow-hellied Sphecotheres.) 



♦— 



Male— Crown of the head, cheeks, and central tail feathers, black ; outer tail feathers white, the inner webs being black at their bases ; 

 back of wings, olive green ; primaries, blackish, margined externally with grey ; inner webs of tertiaries, blackish ; throat, chest, and abdomen, 

 bright yellow ; under tail coverts, white ; naked skin around the eye, bright red ; bill, dark horn color ; feet, yellowish brown ; irides, 

 reddish brown. 



Female — Head and back, brown ; upper tail coverts and tail, olive green ; the three outermost pairs of tail feathers broadly 

 margined with white ; throat, brown — each feather edged with buffy white ; breast, abdomen, and under tail coverts, white, each feather 

 having a large oblong dash of brown in the centre ; feet, greyish green. 



Length, lOJ inches ; wing, 5^ ; tail, 4|- ; bill, li ; tarsus, l^. 



This species frequents forest land in the peninsula of Cape York, Avhere it associates in small flocks of seven or eight in number. 

 Its food consists of berries and fruits of various kinds. 



