76 Berney, Buds of Ike Richmond Disitut, N.CJ. [znd'oct. 



few small pieces of bread or cake put down for them by the side of 

 your plate are quickly gathered up without the birds showing any 

 fear. Honey on a plate is much relished by them, and they like a jam 

 tin to clean out. They had a nest some 20 yards away from the house, 

 and later used to bring their family with them. They are the tamest 

 wild birds I ever came across. The site for the nest is usually the top 

 of a coolibah or whitewood (Alalaya hemiglauca), at a distance of 20 or 

 30 feet from the ground. 



Spiny-cheeked Honey-eater (Acanthogenys nifigulans). — Although 

 never numerous, still in suitable localities the Spiny-cheeked Honey- 

 eater may be seen or heard all through the year. At times I miss it for 

 a while, but this is doubtless owing to a temporary shortage of some 

 item in its menu. It is particularly partial to the honey of the mistletoe 

 (Loranthus quandong). I have pleasant recollections of them at one 

 camp where our dining table was built under the refreshing shade of a 

 bauhinia {B. carronii). Here " Spiny-cheeks " would busy himself all 

 day, passing from bunch to bunch of the mistletoe with which the tree 

 was covered, our meals being accompanied by its quaint but cheerful 

 song — just a subdued, bubbling, gurgling song, that was very pleasant 

 to listen to. 



White-quilled Honey-eater {Entomyza albipennis). — I believe I 

 am right in including this Honey-eater in my list on the strength of 

 having watched (October, 1903) a pair at fairly close quarters, with 

 the aid of field glasses ; they were among the gums on the river. 



Friar-Bird (Philemon corniculatus). — The common Friar-Bird is 

 only occasionally met with along the Flinders River, but about the 

 heads of the creeks that issue from the basalt ranges their chattering 

 cries are always to be heard. 



Yellow-throated Friar-Bird {Philemon citreogularis). — Unlike the 

 larger corniculatus , tliis Friar-Bird is plentiful along the river, but quite 

 absent about the basalt country. It, too, is a noisy bird. A nest of 

 this species contained three eggs on 8th January. 



Little Friar-Bird {Philemon citreogularis, sub-sp. sordidus). — Have 

 seen it frequently at Spring Valley during the past winter, where I 

 obtained a specimen that was kindly identified for me by Mr. A. J. 

 Campbell. It is not as garrulous as its relatives before mentioned. 



Flower-pecker (Dicceum hirundinaceitni). — I have come across the 

 Diccsum in August, 1902, and again in June, 1905. A specimen ob- 

 tained in the former month had the testes very fully developed, and 

 therefore I suppose the birds were nesting in the district. 



Red-browed Pardalote {Pardalotus rubricatus). — Only identified 

 once— December, 1902 — when I obtained a specimen on the river. 



Black-headed Pardalote (Pardalotus melanocephalus). — A very 

 common Pardalote here. Its monotonous " Chuc, chuc " is heard all 

 day long on the river. A nest containing two eggs was found in a 

 sandbank on 27th June, 1903. 



Swallow {Hirundo neoxena). — Previously to 1903 we used to see the 

 Swallows in fairly large numbers, but for the years 1903 and 1904 I 

 have only one record for each year, and both those winter records, 

 while for 1905 to date (August) I have seen none. 



Black-and-White Swallow {Cheramceca leucosternum). — A very 



