Proceedings. 98 



food, honey, this bird feeds very largely on insects. Another 

 little greenish bird, with a ring of white feathers round its 

 eye, commonly known as the "Silver Eye" [Zosterops 

 dorsalis), takes up its abode m the Orange-orchards, vineyards, 

 &c., at certain times of the year, in quite large flocks. They 

 sometimes do much damage to the Grapes, though Mul- 

 berries are more to their taste. 



The foot-hills of the ranges are, many of them, covered 

 with grass, interspersed with a few Peppermint-Gum trees. 

 On other hills, where the ground is poorer. Heath-like plants 

 of the order Epaciidacea, as well as those of the Gravillia, 

 Tttratheca, and Amredia, and various CVs<Ms-like bushes, take 

 the place of the Grass. Scattered here and there are dwarf 

 trees or large bushes of a large-flowering Eucalyptus. Earlier in 

 the year, in spring-time, the ground is covered with Orchids 

 of the most varied shapes and colours. 



As one follows up the gullies to the higher ranges the 

 vegetation gradually alters. More Pea-shaped, flowering 

 bushes are met with, then Grass-trees, and She-Oaks, until 

 all these give way to the Stringy-Bark, a species of Eucalyptus 

 with rough, shaggy bark, like a door-mat. In the upper 

 ranges only is the finest of the Epacridacece, or Heaths, found ; 

 its spikes of tubular flowers varying from pure white to deep 

 crimson, and reaching a height of several feet, are of extreme 

 beauty. The ranges are the home of many kinds of Honey- 

 eaters. The delicate little Spine-billed Honey-eater confines 

 itself to the lower bushes and heaths, whereas the larger 

 Honey-eaters, such as the Myna (Myzantha garrula), and the 

 Wattle-bird (Anthochara carunculata), confine themselves to 

 the larger Gums when in flower, and to insects. The Myna 

 is a most noisy bird, inhabiting districts where the timber is 

 large and somewhat scattered. On intruding into their 

 domain one starts the chorus of "thief! thief! thief! " which 

 they all take up, flying into one tree, and there going through 

 all sorts of antics and emitting the above sound with variations. 



The She-Oaks are the favourite hunting grounds of several 

 species of Acanthiza (a genus before-mentioned), though the 

 Yellow-tailed Acanthiza [Chryaorrca], commonly known as 



