i:^sKssoREs. 527 



Sp. 324. MELIPIIAGA PIIRYGIA. 



Warty-faced Honey-eater. 



Merops phryyius, Lath. Ind. Orn., Supp. p. xxxiv. 

 IFarty-faced Honey-eater, Levvin, Birds of New HolL, pi. 14. 

 Black and Yellow Bee-eater, Lath. Gen. Syii., Supp. vol. ii. p. 154. 

 Black and Yellow Honey-eater, Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. iv. p. 165. 

 Philemon phrygius, Vieill. Ency. Meth., part ii. p. 617. 

 MeJiphagn phrygia, Lewin, Birds of New HolL, p. 13. pi. 4. 

 Anthoch(era phrygia, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 322. 

 Zanthomiza phrygia, Swains. Class, of Birds, vol. ii. p. 326, 

 Xanthomyza phrygia, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. iv. pi. 48. 

 Mock Regent Bird, Colonists of New South Wales. 



Zanthomyza phrygia, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. iv., 

 text to pi. 48. 



This is not only one of the handsomest of the Honey-eaters, 

 but is also one of the most beautiful birds inhabiting Australia, 

 tlie strongly contrasted tints of its black and yellow plumage 

 rendering it a most conspicuous and pleasing object, parti- 

 cularly during flight. It is a stationary species, and enjoys a 

 range extending from South Australia to New South Wales ; 

 I also met with it in the interior nearly as far north as the 

 latitude of Moreton Bay. Although it is very generally 

 distributed, its presence appears to be dependent upon the 

 state of the Eucalypti, upon whose blossoms it mainly depends 

 for subsistence ; it is consequently only to be found in any 

 particular locahty diu-ing the season that those trees are in 

 blossom. It generally resorts to the loftiest and most fully- 

 flowered tree, where it frequently reigns supreme, buffeting 

 and driving every other bird away from its immediate neigh- 

 bourhood ; it is, in fact, the most pugnacious bird I ever saw, 

 evincing particular hostility to the smaller Meliphai/idce, and 

 even to others of its own species that may venture to approach 

 the trees upon which two or three have taken their station. 

 While at Adelaide, in South Australia, I observed two pairs 



