124 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



an active bird with a strong call — whit, whit, whit, wheat — given 

 with celerity. It is particularly chivalrous in the spring. Besides 

 being a honey-eater it is a bold warrior, attacking insects in the 

 air above its woody haunts, and not travelling, as do many of the 

 family, in continuous search for the honey-laden flowers that 

 alone seem to nourish them. Rather than bow to the cold order 

 of winter to " move on," it keeps to its summer post, and changes 

 the diet of the warmer months to one of insects during the winter. 

 Even though this species passes much of its time amongst the 

 tree-tops, it will often prefer to place its cup-shaped nest within a 

 few feet of the grass in a melaleuca, eucalypt, or other shrub 

 convenient for its purpose — sometimes 4 feet, more often 14 

 feet, and occasionally 40 feet from the ground. 



Ptilotis chrysops, Lath. (W.), * the Yellow-faced Honey- 

 eater, is a well-known orchard bird, for in nearly every large 

 garden one or more suspended nests will be found in the season. 

 It builds early and lays late. In February I have observed 

 unfledged young ; in November, nests containing eggs of the 

 Pallid and Bronze Cuckoos. Although particularly inquisitive 

 itself, a close observation by a stranger into its nest is considered 

 an extraordinary intrusion, and it will then flutter and screech at 

 a distance. If upon the ground, it will try to decoy you away, 

 much in the manner of the Ephthianura. There is a general 

 likeness between this species and the Singing Honey-eater, Ptilotis 

 sonora. Both have the prominent marking of yellow on ear 

 coverts, but the latter has a dark line above them, in contrast 

 to what appears to be a dark line below them in P. chrysops. 

 This bird spends much of its time in fly-catching, and quite 

 half of it when the fruit has been gathered. If the winter season 

 starts cold it will commence its nomadic life, and such places 

 as the mountain localities it will quit regularly. 



Another foster-parent of the Pallid Cuckoo is Ptilotis leueotis, 

 Lath. (W.),* the White-eared Honey-eater. To see a pair of this 

 small species showing the kindest attentions to the large bird in 

 passing insects from bill to bill is amusing. If you have never 

 seen the act you doubtless have heard of it, and can imagine it 

 as extremely ludicrous. The call of the bird is varied, and at 

 one time similar to that of the Striated Pardalote, but more 

 powerful. One note of the Pardalote's three is left out, and in 

 lieu of saying " Pick it up," once or more repeated, the Honey- 

 eater calls " Pick up," followed by " twite twite," more quickly 

 than the introductory part. The nest is placed generally within 

 a few feet of the ground, and the eggs are not typical of the 

 family, being whitish more than salmon tint. 



One of the most beautiful of honey-eaters is the Horseshoe 

 or Tasmanian, Meliomis Australasiana, Shaw (W.) Not that it 

 is highly coloured, but the arrangement of the ashy-grey with the 



