165 



Anellobia mellivora. 



BRUSH WATTLE-BIRD. 

 CertJiia mellivora, Lath. I.id. Orn., Suppl., p. xxxvii (1801). 

 Anthoch^ra mellivora, Gould, Bds. Austr , fol., Vol. IV., pi. .50 (1848). 

 .ln«;?o6i« mellivora, Gould, Haudbk. Bds. Austr., Vol. I., p. 541 (1865). 

 Acanthocha^ra mellivora, Gadow, Cat. Bds. Brit. Mus., Vol. IX., p. 264 (1884). 



ADULT U....^Geueral o.lour al„n: iudadin, tl. cn.n-n ,f ih. k.ad Ir.u: .l.lhfl,, in>r'J 'rlfh 

 ri-<' earh fr„ther havi,i<i <' i„irrn)r white shaft streak wldeuituj out into a small spot n<'<n- th'- lip. Hi'' 

 ", 'l-„l",<.rtlu„ of the f-Hfhrrs ,„> e,(rh side of the shaft-line dark hrovn ; upper tail-coverts hr<»r„ with 



"^' " . ,. ' 7 7-, .„./;. /;„v If^^.r iiiid iii'dunt iii>ii<-r irinq-coverts dark brown with 



diiUrr shiif-li'iis and whilf en-sventic tiji.s. lf>.^> i >ni<( w II y 



'.,■ -7 ■ i- t ,, .„„,ll irlnf,' ^iint ill tlir tins iif till- latter, the (ireater covcrix (liirk 



rvhite shaft lines wideni,»J oat intu a smalt a lid. spot III III >/ ' ' ■' .,,;,, „.„ 



Iro^n, indi^inctJy marcji^ied u-lth ,rey on their onU. wet.s and ti^r-d -'A whUe; gmlls dm-l.- Ui na n 

 tipped .oUh white, more lanjelij on the second, third, fiarlli. ond fifth p>.,nra.es,the,ini.niiost 



JLdaries .cashed with ,7-,/ and the central ,uills e.teriod,, yi / with olive; basal port nm of 



I foriniaries rnfoiis iiiereasina in extent towards the innermost; tad Jeathers dark brown 

 . I -ij ,,i,;t, th" four .■riitrol feathers washedwith olive-yrey, the remainder, except the outermost 

 leiZlsid. with on olii:-,r.,:tia,eontU ma.,ins,fthe outer webs; sides ^ the fa.h end and 

 feathers at llw has. of Ihr loin-r inaudible blackish, ear-eorerts and feathers on the sides of »,,■/,■ ,/nll 

 silvery-white ^vith blackishd^rown bases; chin and throat dnskipi,re,ish.hrown w.th snioll brown 

 " ' -J - ■ ■■ '7 ,,^,^„,^. /„.,.„,,/ tihirkisli-hroii II. i/i-ri/ish III the base 



nndir snrfiee similar, bnl th" idiite n-ntral 



silvery-waue iuvu„ u„.^„.^.~ - n j-i i ' I it tl ■ I 



tips to all the feathers; feathers on the fore neck and n,,rr hrmst l.lorkisli-hron n. iji ri,i.- 1 i 



and havini/ a rvhite central streak, remainder of tin- n nd.r snrfwe srmilar, bnl '''">'■'"''; '-'^' 



.treaks are broader and widen out into a white spot at the tips of the Jeathers : ih. bhirkM,rown 



streaKS are uiotoi-:, 1....-1 .>..... .- , „ , i ■] 1 1 



■l-ln, V on lorh sid' of lh<' fiithns on- iihnost obsolete on the loicer flanks : nniln- toil-ron^ris onmn 

 "narii'ii'd and l,n;i,-'h, lippM irilh irhile: hill hlack; let/s and feet greyish-hroirn : iris ijnij. Total 

 length in the jb'sh 12 inches, wing o-J„ tail <yo, bill 1-O.f tarsus l-O-i 



Adult fem.^le— S'imiZar in plumage to the male, but smaller. ]Ving i'T inches. 

 Distribution-Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania. 

 A-rrVHE Brush Wattle-bird is freely distributed over the coastal districts of South-eastern 

 X .Australia and is likewise found in Tasmania. Both of Latham's descriptions in his 

 ^' Index Ornithologicus''^^ are applicable to it as the nati^■e name and habits will show. His hrst 

 one oiMerops chryscptcrns, founded on the Golden-winged Bee-eater of his "General Synopsis of 

 Birds"! is somewhat of a misnomer and has been discarded for the later one of Certlaa inelhvora, 

 published in the same work. It is apparent, however, why the former specific name was given, 

 for in his description of the Golden-winged Bee-eater, he remarks, " greater quills darker dmn the 

 thers four or five of the outer ones have the middle part [of their inner webs; for two thirds ot 

 ! .old'en oran-^e, the ends white." Of the "Mellivorous Creeper," on which his later name is 

 founded he writes:-" Inhabits New South Wales, and is called Goo-g.'ar-ruck, is a common 

 .npcies 'seldom seen but near the sea-shore, especially about where the natives resort, is a lively 

 bkd constantly in action, sucking honey, taking flies, or contending with other birds, two or 



• Ind. Orn. Suppl, p. xxxiii. (1801). t Gen. Syn. Suppl. Bds., p. 153 



