AN AUSTRALIAN BIRD BOOK. 160 



343 Black-chinned Honey-eater (Black-throated), M. gula- 



ris, E.A., S.A., W.A. Stat. r. timber 6.7 



Upper olive-yellow; head, nape black; whitish band on 

 nape joins white band up to eye; sides of throat white, 

 centre blackish; chest grayish; sides creamy; centre- 

 abdomen white; naked skin about eye turquoise-blue; 

 f., sim. Honey, insects, seeds. Sweet song. 



344 Brown-headed Honey-eater (Short-billed), M. breviros- 



tris, E.A., S.A., W.A. Stat. r. timber 5.7 



Greenish-olive upper; quills brown; head, nape dark- 

 brown; whitish band on nape continued as brownish- 

 white band on head; under creamy; bare skin about 

 eye greenish-blue in winter, dull yellow (delicate flesh- 

 tint) in summer; f., sim. Honey, insects. Rough, 

 rattle-like note. 

 1 345*Striped Honey-eater (Lanceolated), Plectoramphus 

 1 lanceolatus, E.A., S.A., W.A. (inland). 



Stat. r. timber 8.8 

 Upper grayish-brown, striped blackish-brown; wing-quills 

 brown, edged lighter; throat white; under, upper base 

 tail white; black marks side of neck, flanks. Honey, 

 insects. Cheerful, loud whistle, "Chirp, chirp, cherry, 

 cherry." 

 6 346* Sanguineous Honey-eater (Blood), Humming-Bird 

 52 (e), Blood-Bird, Myzomela sanguinolenta, E.A. 



(coastal). Nom. r. thick bushes, heath 4.3 



Head, neck, breast, back, upper base tail rich shining 

 scarlet; side-face, wings, tail black, wings lined 

 lighter; abdomen buff; f., light brown, lighter below. 

 Pollen, honey, insects. Beautiful song. 

 347*Black Honey-eater. M. nigra, A. exc. N. Ter. (inte- 

 rior). Mig. v.r. plains 4.4 

 Black; side abdomen, under base tail white; f., brown; 

 under dull-white; breast marked dark-brown; under 

 base tail white. Insects. Plaintive song. 



bill, suitable for exploring flowers. Their feet are well deve- 

 loped and strong, for they are used while hanging in all sorts of 

 positions as the flowers are explored. No less than eighty-eight 

 Honey-eaters are found in Australia, but they are often restricted 

 to very limited areas, so that no district would contain many 

 kinds of these birds. Many are well known, though not by the 

 name Honey-eater. Who does not know the harsh note of the 

 Wattle-Bird (Wattled Honey-eater)? Again, who does not often 

 meet the Noisy Miner (Garrulous Honey-eater), a bird that makes 

 such a fuss when a snake appears that he is sometimes called the 

 Snake-Bird? Is there a city boy who does not know the Greenie 

 (White-plumed Honey-eater) ? Some of the Honey-eaters are 

 amongst the most beautiful of birds. 



The Regent (Warty-faced) Honey-eater is a glory, and is often 

 figured in British books as one of the world's beautiful birds. 



