INSESSORES. 573 



Sp. 352. MELITHREPTUS MELANOCEPHALUS, Gould. 



Black-headed Honey-eater. 



Melith7-ej)tus melanocephalus, Gould iu Proc. of Zool. Soc, part xiii. 



p. 63. 

 Meliphaga atricapilla, Jar. and Selb. 111. Orn., pi. 134. fig. 1. 

 affinis, Less. Rev. Zool., 1839, p. 167 ? 



Melithreptus melanocephalus, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., 

 vol. iv. pi. 75. 



This bird I believe to be peculiar to Tasmania, over the 

 whole of vv^hich island it is very abundant. The Eucalypti 

 are the trees for which it evinces a preference, and it may con- 

 stantly be seen among their foliage and flowers searching for 

 its food, which, like that of the other members of the Meli- 

 phagidcE, consists principally of insects, particularly small cole- 

 optera ; like the other species of the family also, it creeps and 

 clings about the branches after the manner of the Tits of 

 Europe. It is a hvely, animated bird, and generally goes in 

 companies of from ten to twenty in number, according as the 

 supply of food may be more or less plentifid. During the 

 fruit-season it frequents the gardens of the settlers and com- 

 mits considerable havoc among the fruit, of which it is ex- 

 ceedingly fond. 



The sexes are precisely alike in external appearance, but 

 the young differ considerably from the adults, having the 

 throat yellowish white instead of black, and the basal portion 

 of the bill flesh-colour or yellow; their feet also are much 

 hghter than the adults. 



This bird is one of the numerous foster-parents of Caco- 

 mantisjlabelliformis, which I have seen it feeding while perched 

 on a bare branch at the edge of the forest. 



The whole of the head and throat, and a semilunar mark on 

 either side of the chest deep glossy black ; all the upper surface 

 yellowish olive, becoming brighter on the rump ; wings and 

 tail brownish grey with lighter margins ; breast white ; re- 



