508 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 



becoming paler towards the vent; irides lead-colour; bill 

 bluish-black, with a yellow gape ; feet black. 



Total length 7^ inches ; bill | ; wing 3f ; tail 3^ ; tarsi 1|-. 



Sp. 310. PTILOTIS FLAVIGULA, Gould. 



Yellow-throated Honey-eater. 



PHlotis flavigula, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc, part vi. p. 24. 

 Meliphaga flavigula, Gray and Mitch. Gen. of Birds, vol. i. p. 122, 



Meliphaga, sp. 15. 

 Melithrepus flavicollis, Vieill., 2" edit, du Nouv. Diet. d'Hist. Nat., 



torn. xiv. p. 325 ? 



Ptilotis flavigula, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. iv. pi. 35. 



This fine and conspicuous species of Ptilotis is abundant in 

 all the ravines round Hobart Town, and is very generally dis- 

 persed over the whole of Tasmania. If I mistake not, I have 

 also seen specimens from Victoria. Its colouring assimilating 

 in a remarkable degree with that of the leaves of the trees it 

 frequents, it is somewhat difficult of detection. When en- 

 gaged in searching for food it frequently expands its wings 

 and tail, creeps and clings among the branches in a variety of 

 beautiful attitudes, and often suspends itself to the extreme 

 ends of the outermost twigs. It flies in an undulating manner 

 like a Woodpecker, but this power is rarely exercised. 



Its note is a full, loud, powerful, and melodious call. 



The stomach is muscular, but of a very small size, and the 

 food consists of bees, wasps, and other Hymenoptera, to which 

 are added Coleoptera of various kinds, and the pollen of 

 flowers. 



It is a very early breeder, as proved by my finding a nest 

 containing two young birds covered with black dowm, and 

 about two days old, on the 28th of September. 



The nest of this species, which is generally placed in a low 

 bush, differs very considerably from those of all the other 



