354 



NESTS AND EGGS OF AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. 



■^.'/,'/«— Clutch, two ; oval in form ; colour, pm-e white, with freckks, 

 iiregularly shaped spots and blotches of pale red, unevenly distributed 

 towards the larger end, where, in our specimens, they form an ill-definecl 

 zone. Dimensions in inches: (1) -04 x -45, (2) -61 x -46 (North). 



Ohserv/itioiis. — This beautiful and a^'tivc little Honeyeater is found 

 in Northern Australia, where it seems to be exclusively confined to the 

 extensive beds of mangroves bordering the inlets of the sea — so we 

 Icam from Gilbert. 



293. — Myzomela nigra, Gould. — (344) 

 BLACK HONEYEATER. 



Figure. — Gould: Birds of Australia, fol , vol. iv., pi. 66. 



Reference— Ca.t. Birds Brit. Mus., vol. ix., p. 138. 



Previous Descriptions of Eggs. — Gould : Birds of Australia (1848) : also 



Handbook, vol. i., p. 558 (1865) ; Ramsay : Proc. Linn. Soc, N.S. 



Wales, vol. i , 2nd ser., p. 1151 (t886); Campbell: Proc, Austn. 



Assoc, vol. vii., p. 580 (i8g8). 



Geographical Distribution. — Australia in general. 



Nest. — Cup-shaped, small, somewhat frail ; composed of fine, dead 

 twigs and grass stalks ; inside lined with fine, dead, greyish grass. 

 Usually placed in an exposed situation in the forked branches of a bush 

 or tree — casuarina, &c. Dimensions over all, 2 inches by lA inches in 

 depth ; egg cavity, 1 i inches across by | inch deep. 



Eggs. — Clutch, two ; authenticated examples from the Adelaide 

 Museum are yellowish-buff, with an indistinct zone of a darker shade 

 of the same colour round the upper quarter. Dimensions : (1) '59 x "46, 

 (2) -58 X -46. These eggs are not the usual colour for Honeyeaters', 

 being at first sight not unlike those of the Rufous Fantail ( Rliipidiirii 

 rufifrnns), only smaller. 



Oliservations. — The range of the splendid little Bl.ack Honeyeater 

 extends across the southern part of Australia, Govdd having found it on 

 the plains of the Namoi, while Gilbert met the species amongst the 

 myalls (Ariiriii) in Western Australia. 



Although called black in the male, the abdominal parts aro white ; 

 but this bird must not, because of its pied pliunagc, be confounded 

 with the Pied Honeyeater ( Eiitoiijuphila hucomeJas). Tlie female of 

 this species is brownish. 



This interesting species would, however, appear to be more peculiar 

 to inland parts. In October, 1884, I met the Black Honeyeater in the 

 bull-oak (Casuarinn) belts of timber that intersect the Malleo countiy 

 in the Wimmera district, Victoria. The prettily contrasted black and 

 white plumage of the male agreeably harmonised with the surroundings. 

 The flight of the bird at times is peculiar, being spasmodic rises and falls. 



