530 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 



for it. It is at all times extremely difficult of approach, 

 and the female is even more shy and wary than the male. 



Gilbert states that this species assembles in vast flocks, 

 which continue soaring about during the greater portion of 

 the day. It is a periodical visitant to Western Australia, 

 where it arrives in the latter part of October. It also 

 inhabits the plains round Adelaide in the neighbouring colony. 



The male has the head, throat, sides of the chest, back, 

 wings, inner webs of the upper tail-coverts, two centre and 

 the tips of the remaining tail-feathers black ; the wing -coverts, 

 the base and the margins of both webs of the secondaries, the 

 rump, outer webs of the upper tail-coverts, the under surface, 

 and the lateral tail-feathers for three-fourths of their length 

 pure white ; irides reddish brown ; bill bluish grey, becoming 

 black on the culmen near the tip ; naked skin and a small 

 fleshy appendage beneath the eye ash grey ; legs and feet 

 greenish grey. 



The female is light brown, each feather being darkest in the 

 centre ; wings and tail dark brown, the former margined with 

 buffy white ; under surface buffy white, with a small streak 

 of black near the tip of each feather. 



Total length 6f inches ; bill f ; wing 3f ; tail 2 J ; tarsi f . 



Genus ENTOMOPHILA, Gould. 



But one species of this form has yet been discovered. It 

 is strictly Australian, and appears to be confined to the interior 

 of the country. 



Sp. 326. ENTOMOPHILA PICTA, Gould. 



Painted Honey-eater. 

 Entomophila pida, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc, part v. p. 154. 



Entomophila picta, Gould, Birds of Australia, foL,vol. iv. pi. 50. 

 This beautiful little Honey- eater is an inhabitant of the 



