TNSKSSOHES. 529 



shaped mark of yellowish white near the extremity of each 

 feather; two centre tail-feathers black, slightly tipped with 

 yellow ; the remainder black at the base, and yellow for the 

 remainder of their length, the black decreasing and the yellow 

 increasing as the feathers recede from the two central ones ; 

 irides reddish brown ; bill black ; feet blackish brown ; warty 

 excrescences covering the face dirty yellowish white. 



Genus LICHNOTENTHA, Cabanis. 



The generic term of Meiicop/iila proposed by me for this 

 form, having been previously employed, I adopt that substituted 

 by M. Cabanis. 



The single species known is, I believe, confined to Southern 

 and Western Australia. It possesses many singular habits, 



and differs from most other species of the Meliphagidcd in the 

 totally different colouring of the sexes. 



Sp. 325. LICHNOTENTHA PICATA, Gould, 



Pied Honey-eater. 



Entomophila picata, Gray Gen. of Birds, vol. i. p. 118, EntomophiJa, 



sp. 4. 

 Lichnotentha picafa, Cab. Mus. Hein., Theil i. p. 116. 



MelicopMla picata, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. iv. pi. 49. 



The actions of this bird when on the wing are extremely 

 varied, and some of them very graceful ; it frequently ascends 

 in a perpendicular direction to a considerable height above the 

 trees, when the contrast presented by its black and white 

 plumage renders it a conspicuous and pleasing object. It 

 is at all times exceedingly shy, and invariably perches on 

 the top of an isolated bush or dead branch. It usually utters 

 a peculiar plaintive note, slowly repeated several times in 

 succession ; it also emits a single note, which so closely 

 resembles that of the Myzomela nigra, as to be easily mistaken 



2 M 



