184 Mr. R. Hall on Birds 



38. Ptilotis ornata. Yellow-plumed Honey-cater. 

 (HalPs Key, p. 43.) 



Four ad. sk. Katanning. Oct. 4tli to 7th, 1899. 



One of these skins shews a uniform grey head and under 

 tail-coverts broadly marked upon the mid-rib in lanceolate 

 fashion ; apart from this it resembles the others. 



One mile from the city of Perth a cup-like nest was found 

 hanging from two slender twigs of a Euealyj^t some twenty 

 feet from the ground (9.11.99). It was made of wiry green 

 grass and was slightly ornamented with spiders^ webs. 

 The lining was composed of '' palm wool '^ {Macrozamia), 

 which is gathered by settlers to make head-rests for sleeping 

 purposes. External diameter of nest 2" 5 inches, internal 

 diameter 2'1, depth of cavity 2. 



The bird insisted upon staying on its nest until the limb 

 to which it was attached fell upon a branch below, and it was 

 frightened away by my hands. 



39. Meliornis longirostris. Long-billed Honey-eater. 

 (Hairs Key, p. 43.) 



A. Ad. S' 26.9.99. A 



B. Ad. S- 29.9.99. ,„ -j. ... 



C. Ad. ? . 29.9.99-. ^"^" ^"^^ ^^^""^• 



D. Imra. 26.9.99. J 



This bird is merely a western subspecies and so much 

 resembles the eastern species M. nova-huHandice that to deter- 

 mine to which form an individual belongs in an intermediate 

 country such as South Australia will probably be extremely 

 difficult. I agree with Dr. Ramsay "^' that Gould's account 

 of the bill will be of no assistance in the case of the sub- 

 species ; but I also notice that in my adult specimens the 

 cheek-feathers are *^ a little longer, form a more ovate patch, 

 and are slightly hair-like." The culmen measures 0'75 inch, 

 0-75, 0-85. 



Descrijjtionof an immature bird {D). — Forehead and crown 



brownish black ; nape blackish brown ; back similar to that of 



the adult; the stripe retreating from above the eye whitish ; 



cheek-tufts and hair-like feathers upon the neck dirty white; 



* ' Tabular List of Australian BircL^' Notes, p. 12 (1888). 



