568 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 



Sp. 349. MELITHREPTUS LUNULATUS. 



LUNULATED HoNEY-EATER. 



Certhia lunulaia, Shaw, Gen. Zool., vol. viii. p. 224. 



Le Fuscalbin, Vieill. Ois. dor., torn. ii. p. 95. pi. 61. 



Red-eyed Honey-eater, Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. iv. p. 203. no. 65. 



Melipliaga lunulata, Vig. and liorsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 315. 



Black-crowned Honey-sucker, Lewin, Birds of New Holl., pi. 24. 



Meliphaga at7ncapilla, Teram. PI. Col., 335. fig. 1. 



torquata, Swains. Zool. 111., 1st ser. pi. 116. 



Heematops lunulatus, Gould in Syn. Birds of Australia, part i. 

 Gymnopkrys torquatus, Swains. Class, of Birds, vol. ii. p. 327. 

 Melithreptus lunulatus, G. R. Gray, List of Gen. of Birds, 2nd edit. 



p. 21. 

 Meliphaga brevirostris, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 315 ? 



Melithreptus lunulatus, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. iv. 

 pL72. 



The Lunulated Honey-eater is very abundantly dispersed 

 over New South AVales and South Australia, where it inhabits 

 almost every variety of situation, but gives a decided prefe- 

 rence to the JEucalypti and AngophorcB trees, among the 

 smaller branches of which it may be constantly seen actively 

 engaged in searching for insects, which, with the pollen and 

 honey of the flower-cups, constitute its food. It is a sta- 

 tionary species, and breeds during the months of August 

 and September; its beautiful, round, cup-shaped, open nest 

 is composed of the inner rind of the stringy bark or other 

 allied gum-trees, intermingled with wool and hair, warmly 

 lined with opossum's fur, and is suspended by the rim to the 

 small leafy twigs of the topmost branches of the Eucali/pti. 

 The eggs are two or three in number, of a pale buff, dotted 

 all over, but particularly at the larger end, with distinct 

 markings of rich reddish brown and chestnut-red, among 

 which are a few clouded markings of bluish grey; their 

 medium length is nhie lines, and breadth six and a half lines. 



Like the young of M. cJdorojJsis, the young birds of this 



