532 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 



Genus CONOPOPHILA, Reichenhach. 



The members of this genus are two in number ; both are 

 confined to Australia. 



Sp. 327. CONOPOPHILA ALBIGULARIS, GouM. 



White-throated Honey-eater. 



Entomophila ? albogularis, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc, part x. p. 137. 

 Conopophila albiyularis, Reich. Handb. der Spec. Orn., p. 119. 



Me-lud-be-re, Aborigines of Port Essington. 



Entomophila albogularis, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. iv. 

 pi. 61. 



This species is a native of the northern portion of Aus- 

 tralia. " I first met with it," says Gilbert, " on Mayday 

 Island in Van Diemen's Gulf, where it appeared to be tolera- 

 bly abundant ; I afterwards found it to be equally numerous 

 in a large inland mangrove swamp near Point Smith. It is 

 an extremely active little bird, constantly flitting from branch 

 to branch and taking irregular flights, during which it utters 

 its pretty song ; it also pours forth its agreeable melody for a 

 length of time without intermission while sitting on the top- 

 most branches of the trees. I never observed it in any other 

 than swampy situations, or among the mangroves bordering 

 the deep bays and creeks of the harbours. Its small pensile 

 nest is suspended from the extremity of a weak projecting 

 branch in such a manner that it hangs over the water, the 

 bird always selecting a branch bearing a sufficient number of 

 leaves to protect the entrance from the rays of the sun ; in 

 form the nest is deep and cup-like, and is composed of narrow 

 strips of the soft paper-like bark of the Melaleucas, matted 

 together with small vegetable fibres, and slightly lined with 

 soft grass. I found a nest in the latter part of November and 

 another in the early part of December which contained three 



