486 BIRDS OF AL'STUALTA. 



are especially formed for this kind of food, and the peculiar 

 insects which constitute a portion of it? When I say that 

 there are at least fifty species of Meliphagous birds in Aus- 

 tralia, my readers will naturally expect that they are divisible 

 into many genera, and this is really the case, as will be seen 

 as we proceed. 



Genus MELIORNIS, G. R. Gray. 



No example of this genus has yet been discovered in the 

 northern or intertropical regions of Australia, all the species 

 known being confined to the southern parts of the continent, 

 the islands in Bass's Straits, and Tasmania. They feed prin- 

 cipally upon the pollen and honey of the flowers, but occa- 

 sionally upon insects ; in disposition they are tame and 

 familiar ; and they frequent the BanIcsi(E in preference to other 

 trees. 



The sexes are generally alike in plumage, and the young 

 assume the adult Hvery at an early period of their existence. 



Sp.296. MELIORNIS NOViE-HOLLANDIJj]. 

 New Holland Honey-eateu. 



Certhia nova-hollandia, Lath. Ind. Orn., p. 296. 



New Holland Creeper, White's Journ., pi. in p. 186. 



U Heorotaire tachete, Vieill. Ois. Dor., torn. ii. p. 91, pi. 57. 



Meliphaga nova-hollandice, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. 



p. 311. 

 Melitreptus nova-hollmidice, Vieill. 2nde edit, du Nouv. Diet. d'Hist. 



Nat., torn. xiv. p. 328. 

 Meliphaga balgonera, Steph. Cont. of Shawns Gen. Zool.,vol. xiv. p. 261. 



bai'bata, Swains. Class, of Birds, vol. ii. p. 326. 



Meliornis novce-hollandia, G. R. Gray, List of Gen. of Birds, 2nd edit. 



p. 19. 



Meliphaga novse-hollandise, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. iv. 

 pL23. 



The Meliornis novfE-hollandics is one of the most abundant 



