CLYCVPIIILA. 



FASCI ATED HOXKV EATER. 



cross-bar, the bars decrensiit;/ in. size ini the sides of ilir ii inter limist iuk/ jMissiiii/ iiiln <t /<iiii/ifii(liti,nl 

 streak on the flanks, whirli m-r fuiiilh/ /imjid iritli (■rniiiiii-lnijt': mxlrr fniJ-eurrrts pnh' rrrdtmi-huff, 

 some of the lonyer feathers /mriinj n iinrmir ilurl,- hrmni shift strink: ''hill iinfiiish-iiri'ij, fa't itiiri>rn- 

 red, iris reddish-bro>rn."—(Gou\d). 7'n/»/ /nn/fh .',-7 inches, icin;/ :J-S, tin/ l-H. bill ():'>, farsits 0-7. 



Adult female — The se.res <irc alilce ill, jilinitaiir. 



Distribution — Queensland, Northern Territory of South Austraha, North-western Australia. 



(«7K N interest is attached to the modestly plumaged 

 fj/ . JJ -V. little Honey-eater figured on this page, also 



to the next species of the genus Glycyphila, inasmuch 

 "~'^y as they are the only members of the large family 

 Mcli/'hn^idir, inhabiting Australia, who form covered 

 or dome-shaped nests, the remainder constructing 

 open or cup-shaped structures. 



The present species is distributed chiefly over the 

 coastal and contiguous districts of Queensland, the 

 Northern Territory of South Australia, and the 

 adjoining portion of North-western Australia. There 

 are specimens in the Australian Museum collection, 

 from the former State, obtained by Mr. J. Rainbird at 

 Port Denison, and by the late Mr. George Barnard at Duaringa. In the Northern Territory of 

 South Australia, Mr. A. Morton obtained it at Port Essington, and in the Kimberly District of 

 North-western A..ustralia, numerous nests were found in igoi in the trees overhanging creeks, 

 by Mr. Chas. G. Gibson, a member of the Brockman Exploring Expedition. The breeding 

 season was over, and of many nests examined only one contained an egg, which ]Mr. Gibson 

 showed me when passing through Sydney. I have also examined a nest and set of two eggs 

 taken in the Northern Territory of South Australia, in January 1902. 



The late Mr. George Barnard of Coomooboolaroo, Duaringa, Dawson River, Queensland, 

 forwarded me the following note when sending the eggs of this species: — "The nest of 

 Glycyphila fasciata is a large dome-shaped structure, with a hole in the side, and is composed 

 entirely of the paper-like bark of a Melaleuca, coarse strips outside, finer inside, and is fastened 

 to the thin twigs of a tea-tree overhanging and within three or four feet of the water, always as 

 far as we have found over a water hole." His son, Mr. H. G. Barnard, in 1905, wrote me: — 

 " Glycyphila fasciata used to breed freely here, attaching their nests to twigs overhanging water, 

 when there were a number of fine water holes in the creeks, but at present they are and have 

 been for a long time past owing to the continued dry weather a level bed of sand." 



A nest of this species in the Australian Museum collection, is a dome-shaped structure formed 

 entirely of strips of the paper-like bark of a Melaleuca, broad strips externally and narrow ones 

 internally, with a few broad pieces at the bottom. The outer measurements are six inches in 

 length, four inches in width, and across the entrance one inch and a half. 



The eggs are usually two rarely three in number for a sitting, elongate oval in form, the 

 shell being smooth and lustreless. Some specimens are freckled and dotted all over with light 

 red or reddish-brown, the tnarkings predominating around the thicker end where they are often 

 confluent and form a well defined zone. Others have the markings small, less numerous, and 

 evenly distributed over the shell. Another type has distinct spots and medium-sized irregular- 

 shaped blotches of different shades of purplish-red and purplish-brown, many of the darker 

 markings partially overlying the lighter ones, and all confined chiefly to the larger end. .A set 

 of two taken by the late Mr. George Barnard, at Duaringa, Queensland, in December 1890, 

 measure — Length (A) 0"S x o'55 inches; (B) o-8i x 0-55 inches. A set of three taken by 



