i8 
THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA 
6. Olive-backed Oriole Oriolus sagittatus Latham 
sa-git-ta-tns — 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 Sphecothcres vicilloti Vigors and Horsfield—7A. Female 
Sphec-o-thcr'~es —Gk, sphex, sphccos, 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., flavtis , 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. 
