•236 INSECTIVOROUS BIRDS 



Eggs. — Three to a sitting ; long; ground salmon colour, 

 blotched witli slaty-grey and pale chestnut. Length, 1'25 

 inches ; breadth, 0*8 inch. 



YELLOW-FACED HONEY-EATER, 



Ptilotis clirysops, Lath. 



Ti-lolis krl'sops. 

 Ptilon, a downy feather ; ous^ otos, the ear ; chrusos, gold ; op-<, face. 



Ptilotis chrysops, Gould, " Birds of Australia," fob, vol. iv., pi. 45. 



Geographical Distribution. — Areas 2, 3, 4, 6. 



Key to the Species. — General appearance brown ; ear coverts 

 yellow ; small white auricular patch ; black streak through 

 eye ; cheeks black ; under parts with dull streaks ; upper parts 

 earthy brown. 



The Leatherhead, the Lunulated (Black-headed), and 

 this species are the Honey-eaters that make themselves 

 a nuisance to growers of fruit. In the ornithology of this 

 continent the honey-eating family is found to be the largest 

 in number of species. That eminent ornithologist, Mr, 

 John Gould, was very happy in claiming for the Meli- 

 phagida3 the place in the avi-fauna of Australia held by the 

 eucaljpts in the flora. Plant and animal are closely 

 associated, for where a quantity of flowering gums are 

 growing so surely will the Honey-eaters be represented by 

 one or more species. When there are not any blossoms on 

 certain trees the birds will seek others further afield, or, if 

 necessary, will subsist on insect life until such time as 

 nature provides the nectar-pots for a dual purpose. The 

 question of what constitutes the family of Meliphagidse is 

 an open one, being lendered so by the varied opinions he!d 

 by five leading systematists in London. The bone of con- 

 tention is whether the Zosterops (Silver-eyes), of which 



