526 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 



of a branch of a Casuarina overhanging a stream, was out- 

 wardly composed of grasses, interwoven with wool and the 

 cotton-Hke texture of flowers, and contained two eggs rather 

 lengthened in shape, being eleven and a half lines long by eight 

 lines broad, and of a flesh-white, very minutely sprinkled 

 with reddish buff, forming an indistinct zone at the larger end. 



So closely do the sexes resemble each other in colour, that 

 by dissection alone can they be distinguished ; the male, 

 however, rather exceeds the female in size. 



Crown of the head, ear-coverts, and back of the neck 

 mottled with black and white, a longitudinal mark of black 

 running down the centre of each feather ; throat and under 

 surface greyish white, the stem of each feather, which ends 

 lanceolate, pure white ; back, wings, and tail light brown ; 

 irides brown ; bill dark bluish horn-colour ; legs and feet 

 light blue. 



Total length 9 inches ; bill 1 ; wings 4-J- ; tail 4^ -, tarsi 1. 



The young, of which I killed several specimens in the 

 month of January, had even at that early age assumed the 

 general markings of the adult; and the circumstance of 

 there being fully-fledged young and eggs at the same time, 

 proves that these birds rear at least two broods in the 

 season. 



Genus MELIPHAGA, Leivin. 



The only species of this form known appears to be confined 

 to the south-eastern portions of Australia. It is extremely 

 bold and pugnacious, and generally frequents the highest 

 branches of the lofty Eucalypti, both of the brushes and 

 of the plains, but is most abundant in the districts near the 

 coast. 



The sexes are alike in plumage, and but little difference is 

 observable between nestling and adult birds. 



