INSESSORES. 499 



Sp. 303. GLYCIPHILA FASCIATA, Gould, 



Fasciated Honey-eater. 

 Glyciphila fasciata, Gould in Proc. of Zool. See., part x. p. 137. 



Glyciphila fasciata, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. iv. pi. 30. 



All the specimens hitherto collected of this species have 

 been obtained from the Cobourg Peninsula, where, according 

 to Gilbert, it is far from being common, for in his notes he 

 says, " I only once observed it near the settlement, and once 

 again met with it on the neck of the peninsula near the main- 

 land. Its favourite haunts appeared to be the upper branches 

 of the Melaleuca, from the blossoms of which it collects 

 its food. In both instances I observed small families of about 

 twelve in number. Its note is a sharp shrill piping call, very 

 rapidly repeated." 



The fasciated markings of the under surface, by which this 

 species is at once distinguished from every other member of 

 the genus Glyci^Mla, would seem to indicate the propriety 

 of its being separated therefrom ; as, however, it is precisely 

 of the same structm-e, and agrees with them in the colouring 

 of the upper surface, I have preferred retaining it where it was 

 originally placed. 



Its food consists of insects generally, the pollen and 

 occasionally the buds of flowers. 



Crown of the head brownish black, with a small crescent of 

 white at the extremity of each feather ; feathers of the back 

 very dark brown, margined with buffy brown ; rump tinged 

 with rufous ; wings and tail dark brown, fringed with light 

 brown ; sides of the face, throat, and under surface white ; 

 from the angle of the mouth, down the side of the neck, a 

 narrow stripe of brownish black ; chest crossed by a number 

 of semicircular brownish-black fasciae ; flanks and under tail- 

 coverts buff, the former with a stripe of brownish black down 

 the centre ; irides reddish brown ; bill greenish grey ; feet 

 aurora-red. 



Total length 4f inches ; bill f ; wing 2f ; tail ^l\ ; tarsi f . 



2k 2 



