3^6 XESrS AND EGGS OF AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. 



In November, 1895, Mr. C. C. Brittlebank found a pair of Brown- 

 headed Honeyeaters building in the bed of the Myrniong Creek lielow 

 liis house. The birds first attracted his attention by pulling luiir off 

 the cattle. The same season Mr. G. E. Shepherd found two pretty 

 nests near his nurseries, Somei-ville, the second one being taken on 

 the 3rd Januai'y. The following season he found other two nests, 

 but each only contained an egg of the Pallid Cuckoo. 



The picture, " Nest of the Brown-headed Honeyeater," was taken 

 from an example in a euralypt branch, kindly forwarded to me by 

 Mr. Shepherd. 



Breeding months September to January. 



304. — Melithreptus MEL anoceph ALUS, Gould.- — (352) 

 BLACK-HEADED HONEYEATER. 



Figure. — Gould ; Birds of Australia, fol., vol. iv.. pi 75 

 Reference. — CaX. Birds Brit. Mus., vol, ix., p. 207. 



Previous Descriptions of Eggs. — Swan : Proc. Roy. Soc, Tasmania (1885) ; 

 Campbell : Victorian Naturalist (1886) ; North ; Austn. Mus. 

 Cat., app., pi. 12, fig. 18 (1890) ; Campbell : Proc Austn, Assoc, 

 vol. vii , p. 591 (i8g8). 



Geogrnpliiral Dittrihiifinn. — Tasmania, King Island, .and Furneaux 

 Group. 



Nesf. — Cup-shaped, somewhat deep and pointed at the base, with 

 thick bulging sides ; composed of wool chiefly, moss, and spiders' 

 cocoons, with a few threads of stringy-bark round the rim ; inside 

 warmly lined vfith fur and feathers ; usually suspended in the tender 

 foliage at the extremity of a pendulous branch in a stringy-bark 

 (Eucalypf ) sapling or tree, where it is difficult to detect. Dimensions 

 over all, 3 inches by 4 inclies in depth ; egg cavity, 1| inches across by 

 1^ inches deep. 



Eggs. — Clutch, three usually ; roundish oval in form ; texture fine ; 

 surface slightly glossy ; colour, delicate fiesh-tint, marked moderately, 

 and chiefly about the apex, with well-defined spots of rich reddish- 

 brown or chestnut and purplish-brown. Resemble those of M. iri/i- 

 dirostrh, but are proportionally smaller. Dimensions of a clutcli in 

 inches: (1) -78 x -57, (2) -78 x -57, (3) -76 x -56. 



Observations. — This interesting Honeyeater, with its head entirely 

 black, is peculiar to Tasmania and King Island, where specimens were 

 procured by the expedition of the Field Naturalists' Club of Victoria, 

 1887. It may possibly be found on the Funieaux Group, although wo 

 did not notice it there during a subsequent trip, being engaged chiefly 

 amongst the sea-birds. 



