i8 
THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA 
6. Olive-backed Oriole Oriolus sagittatus Latham 
sa-git-ta-tus ■ — L., sagittatus , marked with arrows. 
Distribution. — Northern, eastern, and southern Australia to as far 
south as Adelaide. 
Notes. — Also called Green Thrush and Cedar Pigeon. Usually in 
pairs or flocks according to the seasons of the year, frequenting the open 
forest or brush and showing a preference for the latter as it affords an 
abundant supply of food, consisting of native fruits, berries, and insects. 
It is a splendid songster, possessing a varied series of melodious notes; 
it is also an excellent mimic. 
Nest. — A deep, open, cup-shaped structure, composed of strips of 
stringy -bark, bark-fibre, or paper bark, interwoven with leaves ; occasion- 
ally it is decorated with lichen and spiders’ webs and egg-bags ; lined with 
dried grasses. Usually placed in the outer drooping branch of a tree, up 
to 60 feet from the ground. 
Eggs. — Two to four, usually three, pale cream-colour, spotted and 
blotched with light and dark umber and slate-grey markings, particularly 
at the larger end. Breeding-season: September to the end of December 
or January. 
7. Fig-bird Sphecotheres vieilloti Vigors and Horsfield — 7A. Female 
Sphec-o-ther-es — Gk, sphex, sphecos, wasp; Gk, theras , I hunt: vieilloti — 
Louis Jean Pierre Vieillot (1748-1831), a celebrated French ornithologist. 
Distribution. — Eastern Australia, from Cairns (northern Queens- 
land) to Sydney (New South Wales). 
Notes. — Also called Mulberry-bird and Banana-bird. Usually in 
pairs, frequenting the big scrubs, brushes, and open forests. It is 
exceptionally active and noisy, constantly uttering its peculiar parrot- 
like notes; generally observed feeding in fruit and berry-bearing trees. 
It also visits orchards, chiefly devouring mulberries, figs, bananas, papaws, 
loquats, and guavas. 
Nest. — An open, shallow structure, composed of vine-tendrils or stems 
of climbing plants and a few twigs. Although only a scanty structure, 
through which the eggs are easily seen from beneath, it is strongly built 
into the forked horizontal leafy twigs of an outer branch of a tree, at 
heights up to 70 feet from the ground. 
Eggs. — Usually three, varying from pale apple-green to dull olive- 
green, spotted all over, but more so at the larger end, with reddish or 
purplish-brown markings. Breeding-season: October to December or 
January. 
8. Yellow Fig-bird Sphecotheres flaviventris Gould — 8A. Female 
flav-i-ven-tris — L., flavus, yellow; L., venter , belly. 
Distribution. — Northern Territory and northern Queensland. 
Notes. — Also called Yellow-breasted Fig-bird. Usually in pairs or 
small parties, frequenting both scrub and open forest-lands. Very 
similar in habits to the Southern Fig-bird. Food: native fruits and 
berries. 
