112 



TEKUIKOSTRES. 



SUB-FAMILY II. 

 Meliphagin.e. TJie Honey-eaters proper. 



Gex. Charac. — Bill more or less loug and slender, with the tip slightly emar- 

 ginated, and usually acute ; wings moderate and rounded, with the fourth to 

 the sixth quills generally the longest ; tarsi generally short and strong ; toes 

 moderate, with the outer toe longer than the inner, and united at its base, 

 the hind toe long and strong; the claws moderate, curved, and very acute. 



Fig. 43.— the plain TRoriDouHYNCHUs. 

 (Tropiilorhj/nchiis inorn<ift(s.) 



Tlie Honey-eaters likewise belong to tlie Aus- 

 tralian continent^ thougli a few liave been discovered 

 on islands tliat present almost a tropical climate. 



Wherever tlie Eiocalyptl and the Banlisias are in 

 flower, there these birds may be seen, sucking the 

 nectar from their blossoms. They also feed on the 

 small insects that lie concealed in flowers and on the 

 fruits and berries of various plants. Their move- 

 ments among the branches are active and graceful, 



