39° 



N2iSTS AND EGGS 01- AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. 



The yullow chest streaks, wliich are such a conspicuous fcatm-e in 

 the bird's appearance, suggested the name fiavidriuta to Gould — hence 

 the good descriptive vernacular name, " Yellow-streaked " Houeyeatcr. 

 Mr. North's vernacular name, " Sir William Macleay s " Honeyeater, is 

 somewhat inconveniently long. Moreover, it was decided by the " Ver- 

 nacular Names for Australian Birds Committee '* that the strictly 

 complimentary place for an author's or a naturahst's name was in the 

 scientific title of the bird. (Of course there may be exceptions to this 

 riUe.) 



The original nest of the Yellow-streaked Honeyeater was discovered 

 by Mr. J. A. Boyd in a mango-tree near the Herbert River, 16th 

 December, 1896. 



Two skins of this interesting bird are mounted in the National 

 Museum, Melbourne. 



326. — Ptilotis sonora, Gould. — (307) 

 SINGING HONEYEATER. 



Figure. — Gould : Birds of Australia, fol., vol iv., pi. 33 



Refcrtncc.—Ca.\.. Birds Brit. Mus., vol. ix., p. 234. 



Previous Descriptions of Eggs. — Gould; Birds of Australia (184S); also 

 Handbook, vol. i.. p. 505 (1865) ; North ; Austn. Mus. Cat,, p. 200 

 {1889) ; Campbell : Proc. Austn. Assoc , vol. vii., p. 612 (i8g8). 



Geographical Distributiun. — Australia in general, especially the 

 interior. 



Nest. — Cup-shaped, deep ; in Western Australia substantially inter- 

 woven and constructed of strong green-gathered gi'ass, lined inside with 

 wool, cow-hair, long hoi-se-hairs, &c. ; usually suspended in a bush or 

 tree in open forest country. Dimensions over all, 3i inches by 3 inches 

 in depth; egg cavity, 2 inches across by 1| inches deep. 



In eastern parts the nest is somewhat thinner, the grass being 

 matted with spiders' web, while the lining is fibi-ous rootlets. 

 Dimensions over all, 2i inches by IJ inches in depth; egg cavity, 2 

 inches across by 1 inch deep. 



Eggs. — Clutch, two to three ; oval in shape ; texture of shell fine ; 

 colour, a delicate pinkish-buff, or beautiful fleshy-tint, having the appear- 

 ance of a darker shade in the fonn of a cap on the apex, this dark 

 patch being really foiTned by a coalescence of numerous indistinct 

 specks. At first sight the eggs closely resemble those of the Pallid 

 Cuckoo (C. paUidus). Dimensions of a clutch in inches : (1) '81 x •6, 

 (2) -81 X -6, (3) -8 X -59. (Plate Id.) 



Ohxcrvation^. — The Singing Honeyeater may be described as being 

 (lark above, imder surface pale in colour, striped with light-bro\vn. 



Proc. Austn. Assoc, vol. vi., p. 445. 



