140 



MELIPHAGID-S. 



/ l(^HE rangeof the Yeilow-tufted Honey-eater extends throughout South-eastern Queensland, 

 JL Eastern New South Wales into Victoria, as far south as the Melton District. I first 

 observed it in the latter State in the sapling-scrubs around Bendigo, and have often 

 noted in the winter months both Ptilotis ornata and the present species frequenting the ornamental 

 trees planted in the streets of that city. It is, however, far more abundantly distributed throughout 

 the districts contiguous to the coast of New South Wales, and is the commonest species of the 

 genus found in the neighbourhood of Sydney, and more especially in the western suburbs. 

 Inland I have not met with it in the open forest country beyond the western slopes of the Blue 

 Mountains, nor have I seen an example of it in any collection found in the western portion of 

 the State. Adult males from different parts of New South \\'ales are similar in colour, the 

 wing measurement varying from 3-25 to 3-5 inches. There is a beautiful yellow variety of this 

 species in the collection obtained by Dr. E. P. Ramsay, at Dobroyde, on the 30th Januajy, 1864, 

 and one of three similar birds observed bv him in the neighbourhood that season. 



It is a resident species in New South Wales and evinces a decided preference for gum- 

 saplings and other scrubs, studded here and there with the larger Eucalypti, among the leafy sprays 

 of which it may be often seen swaying to and fro while engaged in searching for insects or other 

 food. During the autumn months it assembles in small flocks, sometimes quarrelling or playfully 



chasing one another from tree to tree. Qn one occas- 

 ion I observed one of these birds catch hold of the outer 

 primaries of another bird while perched and extend 

 the wing to its utmost. This action it repeated several 

 times with either wing also the tail feathers, following 

 the bird from branch to branch and tree to tree until 

 lost to \iew. It is a tame and sociable species, breeding 

 freely in the saplings at the back of my house at Rose- 

 ville. and coming fearlessly to bathe in a shallow dish 

 of water placed for them every day during the summer 

 months in the garden. Both here and in shallow rock- 

 pools in creeks in the bush, I observed that this species 

 stands in the water which it beats with its wing like 

 Ftilotis fusca, and differing from Meliornis novce-hoUandia, 

 which simply darts down into the water and out again 

 as quickly as possible. How well these birds knew where to look for water when the receptacle 

 for their use had been removed, is proved by the fact that I saw one of them, at 5 a.m. 

 on the 31st December, 1904 — an unusually hot and sultry day — hovering beneath, and with 

 bill thrust up an absolutely dry tap in my garden, which had not been used since the previous 

 day. 



The food of this species consists of nectar extracted from \-arious flowers, principally from 

 blossoms of the Eucalypti, also to a large extent, insects. In the latter respect it is a most useful 

 bird, for on sultry evenings at Roseville, when the Termites swarm, I have seen numbers of these 

 birds in cleared parts of the scrub, engaged in capturing these destructive insects, securing them 

 while on the wing after the manner of the Flycatchers. It searches too under the bark of the 

 larger trees for insects, hopping from limb to limb while so engaged like Collyriocincla harmonica. 

 Although it cannot be regarded as a very destructive species, I once saw two of these birds 

 among others, that had been shot while eating date-plums in a neighbouring orchard. 



It is impossible to convey by words any idea of the succession of varied and high-pitched 

 notes usually uttered by this species. When searching for insects among the leafy twigs of trees, 

 a single shrill "twixt" is emitted at intervals. 



YELLOW-TUFTKD HONEV-EATKl!. 



