508 BIRDS OP AUSTRALIA. 



becoming paler towards the vent; irides lead-colour; bill 

 bluish-black, with a yellow^ gf^pc ; feet black. 



Total length 71 inches ; bill | ; wing 3 J ; tail 3 J- ; tarsi Ij. 



Sp. 310. PTILOTIS TLAYIGULA, Gould. 



Yellow-throated Honey-eater. 



PtilothflaviguJa, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc, part vi, p. 24. 

 Meliphaga Jlavigula, Gray aud Mitch. Geu. of Birds, vol. i. p. 12.2, 



MeViphaga, sp. 15. 

 Melithrepus fiavicoUis, Vieill., 2*" edit, du Nouv. Diet. d'Hist. Nat., 



torn. xiv. p. 325 ? 



Ptilotis flavigiila, Gould, Bii'ds of Australia, foL, vol. iv. pi. 35. 



This tine and conspicuous species of Ptilotis is abundant in 

 all the ravines round Hobart Town, and is very generally dis- 

 persed over the whole of Tasmania. If I mistake not, I have 

 also seen specimens from Victoria. Its colouring assimilating 

 in a remarkable degree ^vith that of the leaves of the trees it 

 frequents, it is somewdiftt difficult of detection. When en- 

 gaged in searching for food it frequently expands its wings 

 and tail, creeps and clings among the branches in a variety of 

 beautiful attitudes, and often suspends itself to the extreme 

 ends of the outermost twigs. It flies in an undulating manner 

 like a AVoodpecker, but this power is rarely exercised. 



Its note is a full, loud, powerful, and melodious call. 



The stomach is muscular, but of a very small size, and the 

 food consists of bees, wasps, and other Hymenoptera, to wdiicli 

 are added Coleoptera of various kinds, and the pollen of 

 flowers. 



It is a very early breeder, as proved by my finding a nest 

 containing two young birds covered with black down, and 

 about two days old, on the 2Sth of September. 



The nest of this species, which is generally placed in a low 

 bush, diifers very considerably from those of all the other 



