MYZOMELA. 101 



The eggs are two in number for a sitting, oval in form, the shell being close grained and its 

 surface smooth, dull and lustreless. They are of a pale creamy-white ground colour with a 

 broad zone of creamy-buff around the thicker end, in which are numerous small dull freckles 

 and streaks of a slightly dark-er and warmer tint; the zone on one specimen being more distinct 

 and well defined than on the other. Length (A)o-6j x 0-48 inches; (8)0-67 ^ 0-47 inches. In 

 size and colour these eggs more closely resemble those of Rltipidiira nififrons, but the zone and 

 markings are of a sli_2;htly richer shade. 



Young birds have the forehead, crown of the head, hind neck and wings brown; upper back 

 buff, some of the feathers having black centres; lower back and rump brown; upper tail-coverts 

 white; tail dark brown ; all the under surface dull white, the cheeks washed with yellow, the ear- 

 coverts entirely rich yellow, the crescentic band on the chest mottled with buff and black. Wing 

 2'5 inches. Immature males resemble the adults, but have the feathers on the centre of the crown 

 brown, those on the back rich buff; primaries brown, scapulars and secondaries black, the latter 

 edged with bufif or white around their tips, the band across the chest black as in the adult, but the 

 ear-coverts are pale yellow. Wing-measurement the same as in the young, 2'5 inches. 



Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris. 



SPIXE-BILLEIl HOXEY-EATER. 

 Cerfhia teiiuirosiris, Lath. Iiid. Orn., Suppl. p. xx.xvi., (1801). 



Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris, Gould, Eds. Aust. fol., Vol. IV., pi. Gl (1848): id., Handbk. Bds. 

 Austr., Vok L, p. 551 (1865) ; Gadow, Cat. Bds. Brit. Mus,, Vol. IX., p. 144 (1884). 



Adult malr — Forehead and crown of the head hlack, with a slight greenish lustre; hind neck 

 reddish-chestnut, the upper hack duller where it has a distinct olivaceous tinge; lotrer back, rump 

 and upper tail-coverts grey; upper wing-coverts grey ; primary-coverts and quills black, the innermost 

 scondaries grey, the apical portion of the remainder of the quills edged externally ivith grey; 

 tail feathers black, the two outermost on either side largely tipped with white and their outer webs 

 narroivly edged ivith browti; ear-coverts black; cheeks and fore neck white, a patch on the centre of the 

 thro'it rich brown, on it^ lower rage and gradually passing into almost a pure ivliile on the chin: a 

 crescentic marking on encli side of t/ie neck black; remuindi'r of the under surface and tlie under tail- 

 coverts rich fawn colour ; hill black ; legs and feet greyish-brown ; iris red. Total length in the jiesh 

 6:5 inches, ving J-72, tail l-.'i, bill 1, tarsus 07. 



Adult female — Similar in plumage to tlie male, but t!ie feathers on tlie forehead and croicn of 

 the head of a distinct greyish shade with hardly any lustre, and the hlack crescentic marking on each 

 side of tlie neck not quite so well pronounced. It is also smaller than the male. Wing 2'S inches. 



Distribution — Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia. 

 /~|^HE range of the Spine-billed Honey-eater or "Cobbler's Awl" as it is frequently called, 

 JL. extends from the neighbourhood of Cairns in North-eastern Queensland, south 

 throughout Eastern New South W'ales into \'ictoria and South Australia, to the vicinity 

 of Spencer's Gulf. In New South Wales it is common in the coastal districts also in the Blue 

 Mountains, and appears to evince a preference for sandstone country. It is a tame and familiar 

 species, being found alike in our public and private gardens, where it may be often seen probing 

 flowers with its long spine-like bill. In the bush around Sydney it obtains much of its food, 

 among the flowers of the different species of Bankiia, Grevilka, and also the Native l'"uchsia 

 (Epacris imprcssaj. Stomachs of these birds examined contained only the remains of insects, 

 principally of small black beetles. 



