MELIPHAGIDAE 565 



connected ; the wings are variable in lengtli, Melithreptes possess- 

 ing comparatively small secondaries, Aiithorriis an abruptly 

 narrowed second primary. The tail also varies in size : it is much 

 rounded in Melidectes and Melipliaga, square in Acanthorhynchus, 

 emarginated in Anthornis, aiid particularly long and graduated 

 with pointed rectrices in Acrvloccrcv^ and Cliactoptila — A. nobilis 

 having the median pair produced and spirally twisted, A. aijiadis 

 the ends upturned. PogoiwniU has strong rictal bristles. 



The Jri/zornelinae are usually hal)ited in scarlet and black, as 

 in the Soldier-bird of Australia (J/?/^o?/;g/ft sangainolcnta), with or 

 without white or yellowish below ; some, however, are chiefly or 

 entirely olive or greyish-ljrown, while the females generally differ 

 from the males, and the former occasionally shew red wlien the 

 latter do not. A second genus, Acanthorhynchus, or Cobbler's Awl, 

 is brown, chestnut, Imff, black, and white. In the Meliphaginae 

 the sexes are commonly alike, and exhibit a mixtiire of brown, 

 olive, yellow^, black, white, grey, rufous, and buff; the under parts 

 frequently, and the upper rarely, being streaked or spotted. 

 Metallic hues are rare, but Aufhofnis has a purplish gloss on 

 the head. Leptornis, Entomyza, Philemon, 3Ielitograis, and Fycno- 

 pyyius are instances of dusky or olive coloration with lighter 

 lower surface ; Prostlieinadera and Certhionyx leucomdas are black 

 and white ; Pleetrorliy achus is brown and white ; Meliphaga is 

 yellow and black, spotted and barred below. The Hawaiian 

 Acrulocercus is lilack or V)rovvnisli, with a little white on the wings 

 or tail, and possesses yellow axillary tufts and under tail-coverts, save 

 in A. hraccatus, where the tufts are grey-lniff, the tiliiae are yellow, 

 the throat is barred with white, and the lower parts are streaky. 

 A. hishopi has yellow ear-tufts. Their close ally, Chaetoptila, of the 

 same islands, is light brown and yellowish above, with white spots, 

 and a black cheek-stripe ; the under surface being white with brown 

 streaks, and the rump and flanks ochreous. The neck- and breast- 

 plumage is lanceolate and decom])osed. Many species of Ptilotis 

 have white or yellow ear-tufts ; the male of Pogonornis possesses 

 white erectile post-ocular feathers ; that oi Prosthemadera two gular 

 patches of curled white filamentary plumes, which give it the name 

 of Parson-ljird, as w^ell as pointed white feathers curving forward 

 from the sides of the neck. In two members of jMeliornu white 

 fan-like shields spring from the cheeks ; Glycyphila idhifrons has 

 a white circum-ocular ring ; while many forms have peculiar cheek- 



