350



Mr. A. J. Campbell,



have suggested it as a subject of an illustration, together with a

flowering spray of the Iron-barked Eucalypt upon which it loves

to feed when in the open. As will be noticed the Yellow-tufted

Honey-eater wears a beautiful, rich, golden-tinted plumage,

especially the under surface, with a lengthened tuft of extremely

rich j^ellow feathers extending backwards from the ear. Its

total length is about seven inches. I once enjoyed a glorious

sight—about ioo of these birds under a shining sun flying

across a flat evidently in search of “fresh fields and pastures

new.” Like other Honey-eaters the gay Yellow-tufted is

gregarious at times. This bird constructs a striugy-bark nest in

the pendulous branches of a Eucalypt or Acacia , laying in

common with the other members of its tribe, two or three rich

salmon-pink eggs more or less spotted with reddish-and

purplish-brown—some, the loveliest items in creation.


I fear I have not space enough to more than mention the

remaining Ptilotes —the White-plumed ( P. peuicillata'), the

graceful Yellow-plumed ( P . omata), the Fuscous ( P. fusca), and

the sprightly Yellow-faced (A*, chrysops). The} r are all about the

same size—6A- inches in length—and dressed in art greens with

the distinguishing features as suggested by their respective

vernacular names. The White-plumed Honey-eater is the most

familiar about our city parks and gardens, while the Yellow-faced

cousin has perhaps the merriest song and is fond of timber-

margined streams. An oological reminiscence of the latter

bird —a lovely green, moss-made nest, containing red mottled

eggs, suspended in an acacia bush abloom with yellow, over¬

hanging a moss-covered bank in a sheltered forest nook.


The two species of shy and distrustful birds of the aviary-

belonged to the genus Meliornis (from two Greek words

meaning honey-bird). First the White-bearded Honey-eater

(A/. novcc hollandice), whose showy figure may be thus described :

Head black, conspicuously marked by a stripe over each eye,

moustache and small tuft of feathers behind the ear, white ; rest

of the upper surface dark, save a patch on the wing and the

margin of the tail, which are yellow, while the under surface in

general is white striped longitudinally with black ; eyes pearly-

white ; bill and feet black ; length, seven inches.



