52 Hall, Notes on Bird-Skins from N.W. Australia. [^^^ 



Emu 

 Oct. 



terminal. [Irides brown ; upper mandible brown, cutting edge 

 yellowish ; tip of lower mandible brown, balance yellowish ; legs 

 and feet brown.] 



In c, d, and e the change from brown to black of the upper 

 surface is by complete moult. The change of brown to 

 white of the under surface is composed of several moults, or a 

 gradual process of pigment alteration — I should say the latter. 

 The secondaries and coverts of c and d show some rufous, the 

 coverts only of e. Specimen f is free of it. The tips of the 

 primaries are white in c and d, and. black in e and f, as are the 

 whole quills. The lower mandible of ^ is browny-white upon its 

 proximal end, while in (fthe whole bill is black.] 



[Many of these have their foreheads stained yellow and matted 

 with the pollen of two species of flowering shrubs (4/7/01). The 

 flowers of each contain many small insects. During one evening 

 (18/5/01) I watched this Caterpillar-eater waiting on the ground 

 for small flying insects. As one was about to pass close by it 

 rose and snapped it and settled again at once. It then hopped 

 a short distance and again, waited. On 4th January I climbed 

 to 20 feet up a tree and observed two young in a nest.] 



Mr. Rogers sent fledglings of many species hatched out in 

 early May, including one of this species. Last year he com- 

 plained in February that owing to the need of a rainfall the birds 

 had ceased for a season to nest. Later on in the year (Septem- 

 ber) his letter is: — "It is very unusual to see young Honey-eaters 

 at this time of the year, as it is usual for them to build with the 

 heavy tropical rain (February-March). Owing to a September 

 storm this year (1900) many birds started laying." Thus the 

 range of nesting is very great and variable. 



59. Ephthianura tricolor (Gould), Tricoloured Chat. 



Ephthiantira tricolor, Gould, Birds Aust., fol., vol. iii., pi. 66 (1848); 

 Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., vol. vii., p. 667 (1883). 



Adult male, 10/2/00. 



[On loth February, 1900, I saw my first pair, the following 

 day a half-dozen pairs. Possibly they are arriving at an end of 

 their migration. They were feeding with Chestnut-eared 

 Finches, but on black beetles, and not on seeds, as were the 

 Finches.] 



60. Dictum HIRUNDINACEUM (Shaw), Flower-pecker or 



Mistletoe-Bird. 



Dicaiiin hiriindinaceiini, Gould, Birds Aust., foL, vol. ii., pi. 34 (1848) ; 

 Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., vol. x., p. 19 (1885). 



One specimen, young, 8/2/co. No white tips to tail quills. 

 [Upper mandible and tip of lower brown ; base of lower 

 mandible reddish-yellow.] 



[Quite common, several singing daily near my camp. They 

 start " singing " as soon as the air gets hot, and continue doing 

 so through the heat of the day (January, 1900).] 



