OF VICTORIA. 237 



there are 88 species known, should or should not be 

 included in the family. Dr. Gadow, in the " British 

 Museum Catalogue of Birds," vol. ix., favours their entry. 

 Of Honey-eaters with generally recognized definition there 

 are some 150 known species confined to the Australian and 

 New Zealand regions, though with scanty representation in 

 the latter. With one exception they are altogether placed 

 in these areas, and it is not so very surprising that this 

 wanderer should get from Lombok to the island of Bali ; 

 rather the wonder is that the north-west boundary of 

 geographical range sliould be so faithfully kept by the 

 birds. If you hold the view that the Silver-eyes should 

 foim a part of the family, then the two regions named will 

 lose the family as one peculiar to the areas, for it then 

 starts its most western line of habitation in South Africa, 

 working northward to China, and south from there to New 

 Zealand, closely traversing the intermediate countries. If 

 Ave include the Silver-eyes, of which there are six species in 

 Australia, we find our continent, with Tasmania, totals 

 seventy-five species. Thirty-seven of these are recorded as 

 Victorian, and nearly all are decidedly useful birds, if not 

 entirely insectivorous. That under present review is nearly 

 always attracted by the working of a pioneer's lease, and, if 

 satisfied that fruit is one of its products, decides to stay. 

 To do the bird justice I might say its diet is strongly 

 composed of insects in the winter, when most of the bad 

 characters are, as we judge them, on their best behaviour. 



Np.st. — Cup-shaped and suspended ; made of grasses and 

 covered with mosses ; position near the ground. 



Eggs. — Two or three to a sitting. The colour varies 

 considerably, but it is generally a pale salmon, with spots 

 of chestnut-red and greyish-purple. Length, 0-75 inch ; 

 breadth, 0-5 inch. 



