PTILOTIS. 151 



The eo'gs are two in number for a sitting, oval ni form, the shell being close-grained, 

 smooth and almost lustreless. They are of a fleshy-buff ground colour which is minutely 

 dotted and irregularly spotted with faint purplish or chestnut-red, intermingled with a few 

 underlying markings of light purplish-grey. Typically they are sparingly marked, but in some 

 the dots and spots are more numerous and predominate around the thicker end, where they form 

 an irregular zone or cap; others are entirely devoid of markings. A set of two taken by Mr. 

 C. E. Cowle, in April, 1S98, measures: — Length (A) 072 x 0-5 inches; (8)075 ^ °'^ inches. 

 The eggs of this species resemble those of Ptilotis sonora but are much smaller. 



In January 1905, Dr. E. Hartert recorded" specimens from Marble Bar, Carbana Pool, and 

 Taylor's Creek, North-western Australia, and thus describes a very young female: — "The upper 

 surface is sandy or brownish-buff, the crown like the back, ear-coverts pale grey, under surface 

 uniform yellowish-buff." 



Ptilotis unicolor. 



UXIFORM-COLOUEED HONEY-EATER. 

 Ptilotis unicolor, Gould, Proc. Zool. Soc, 1842, p. 136; id., Eds. Austr., foL, Vol IV., pi. 46 (1848); 



Gadow, Cat. Bds. Brit. Mas., Vol. IX., p. 249 (1884). 

 Slomiopera unicolor, Gould, Handbk. Bds. Austr., Vol. I., p. 52.3 (1865). 



Adult male — General colour above and below pale greyish-brown, darker on the upper parts 

 which are faintly tinged with olive, and slightly lighter on the abdomen and under tailcoverts; upper 

 wing-coverts and quills brown with paler broivn margins, some of the inner primaries externally edged 

 with dull olive; tail feathers brown, indistinctly edged on their outer webs with olive for two-thirds 

 of their length; a slightly curved line ofblackish-brotvn extends from the nostril to the anterior portion 

 of the eye; ''bill dark olive-brown; naked gape ^fleshy-white passing into yellotv at the corner of the 

 mouth; legs and feet light ashy-grey ; iris obscure red" (Gilbert — Gould). Total lengtli S:' inches, 

 wing 4, tail SS, bill 0-7, tarsus 1. 



Adult female —5ii)ii/ar in plumage to the male but smaller. Wing ■3'>! indies. 



Distribution— ^o'c\.\\-\MQstem Australia, Northern Territory of South Australia, North 

 Queensland. 



/T^HE present species is widely distributed in the coastal districts of the northern portion 

 J_ of the Australian continent. It was discovered by Gilbert near Port Essington, where 

 later on Mr. Alex. Morton also succeeded in obtaining specimens on behalf of the Trustees of 

 the Australian Museum. Other examples in the latter collection were procured by Mr. E. J. 

 Cairn and the late Mr. T. H. Bowyer-Bower at Derby, and by Mr. G. A. Heartland near the 

 junction of the Fitzroy and Margaret Rivers in North-western Australia. Relative to this species 

 Mr. G. -\. Keartland writes me: — "Ptilotis unicolor \s found in considerable numbers among the 

 mangroves and other dense foliaged trees on the margin of the Fitzroy River. These birds are 

 very active and noisy, and are nearly always on the move, feeding, bathing, or chasing other 

 species. 1 never saw them away from the trees or bushes that skirt the banks of the river." 



Mr. A. F. Smith writes me; — "Ptilotis unicolor used to come into our (juarters at the \'ictoria 

 Sugar Mill on the Herbert River, Queensland; they get very tame and will enter rooms to steal 

 bread or drink milk if left uncovered. Their notes resemble 'chp chp chp chp chp chwerp,' 

 sounded very quickly. They used to breed in the mangoes around the house. I found three 

 nests in mango trees from eight to fifteen feet up, but only took one egg which had been 



• Nov. Zool., Vol. XII , p. 233 (1905). 



