400 NESTS AND EGGS OF AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. 



335. — Ptilotis OASSinix, Jnrdino. 

 HELMETED HONEYEATER. 



Fii^Hie. — Gould: Birds of Australia, fol., supp., pi. 39. 

 Rc/cyence— Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., vol. ix , p. 243. 

 Previous'^ Descriptions of Eg^s. — Campbell : Southern Science Record 

 (18S5) ; also Proc. Austn. Assoc, vol. vii., p. 621 (1898). 



(Jeographicnl Disftrihvtion. — Victoria. 



Nent. — Substantial, c\ip-shaped, deep, with bulging sides ; constructed 

 of soft strings or strips of brownish bark (E. ohliqun ), with a few spiders' 

 cocoons and a leaf or two inserted ; inside lined vrith fine bai'k and other 

 soft material, such as hair, clematis seeds, &c. ; usually suspended in the 

 branch of a low tree or bush near or overhanging a stream, in thick 

 forest. Dimensions over all, 31 to 4 mches by 4 inches in depth; egg 

 cavity, 2 J inches across by 2§ inches deep. 



EggK. — Clutch, two ; oval or inclined to an ellipse in form ; texture 

 fine ; surface slightly glossy ; colour of a fleshy-tint, moderately marked 

 with reddish or pinkish-brown and dnll-purplish spots, more numerous 

 about the apex. Dimensions in inches of two clutches: A (1) -95 x -69, 

 (2^ -94 X -68 : B (1) -92 x -63, (2) -91 x -64. (Plate 14.) 



Ohservnfinnn. — The Hclmeted or Lcadbcater Honeyeater is perhaps 

 the rai'est and the most splendid bird of its genus. It was brought to 

 scientific light in a peculiar way. Gould's friend. Sir William Jardine, 

 sent him a specimen obtained in Edinburgh, from among a collection 

 of ordinarv Australian species. The new bird was exhibited at a meet- 

 insr of the London Zoological Societv, December, 1866. 



Tlin Hclmeted Honeveater has a somewhat local habitat, confined 

 to the gi-eat forests of Gippsland, where no doubt it takes the place of 

 its more inland congener, the beautiful Tufted Honeyeater (P. nnri- 

 romif! ). which it resembles. Like the Tufted, the Helmeted is gi-egarious 

 at seasons. Mr. A, W. Milligan informed me he had seen a large flock 

 in the vicinity of Olinda Creek, near Lilydale. 



It was at the same creek that the only four authenticated nests have 

 been discovered, the first and historical nest being foimd during the first 

 camp-out of the Field Naturalists' Club of Victoria, November, ]8(S4. 

 I was aware these fine birds existed in a certain patch of native hazel 

 f Pnmaderris ) scrub, where on several occasions I made attempts, but 

 failed to discover their breeding-places. The camp-out having formed 

 themselves into parties. I piloted the oologists to the hazel patch, which 

 wa.s hardly entered before the honour fell to the late Mr. W. Hatton 

 of detecting the first nest, with the rare Honeveater sitting. The nest 

 was situated at a height of about twenty feet, and wa.s suspended to an 

 outstretched branch of a hazel overhanging the creek. With what 

 ecstasy of delight the small tree was ascended ! The handsome bird 

 still retained possesion of its nest. With Mr. Hatton's assistance, I 

 all but had my hands on the coveted prize, when, without a moment's 



