204 Macgillivray, Ornithologists in North Queensland, [j^f ^"rii 



to mind the people who came into the room, the sitting bird rarely 

 moving even when the bath and shower were used. 

 This species is also common on the Archer River. 



Melithreptus albogularis (Melithreptus lunatus vinitinctus). — The 

 White-throated Honey-eater was a common bird on the Claudie. 

 Often in the trees about our camp, especially after heavy rain, when 

 the trees and shrubs of the open forest were alive with birds. One 

 could sit at the door of the tent and watch these birds together with 

 Glyciphila modesta, Monarcha canescens, Myiagra concinna, Arses 

 lorealis, Colluricincla parvissima, and many others. 



According to Mr. M'Lennan, this species is equally common on 

 the Archer River, where he found a pair building a nest on the 6th 

 July ; this was finished and contained two eggs by the 14th. It was 

 in a paper-bark at about 20 feet from the ground. 



Melithreptus laetior (Melithreptus gularis carpentarianus). — A few 

 Golden-backed Honey eaters were seen on the Archer River. 



Macgillivrayornis claudi. — On the day following our arrival at 

 camp on the Claudie Mr. M'Lennan and I came across this species 

 in the scrub. It was Mr. M'Lennan's keen ear for bird-notes that 

 first detected one that was strange to him and led to his finding the 

 birds feeding high up in the scrub, where their small size and sub- 

 dued colouring made it no easy matter to make out what they were. 

 We, however, soon had two of them in our hands, and immediately 

 saw that they were new and quite unlike any other genus of Honey- 

 eaters. We afterwards found them to be fairly common in the 

 scrub, but always high up in the leaves, where only the trained eye 

 of one accustomed to look for such things can be expected to find 

 them. 



Myzomela erythrocephala (Myzomela erythrocephala kempi). — The 

 beautiful little Red-headed Honey-eater frequents the mangroves 

 and the scrub growing on the islands near the coast. We first met 

 with it in the mangroves 50 miles south of Lloyd's Bay. On Hagger- 

 stone Island numbers were feeding on some flowering trees. 



On the Archer River Mr. M'Lennan found them to be plentiful in 

 the mangroves. He found one building in a tea-tree near his camp 

 on 3rd August; by the 7th the nest was completed and contained 

 one egg. 



A nest forwarded by Mr. Vidgen is a small cup-shaped structure 

 suspended by the rim from a small horizontal fork. It is firmlj^ but 

 openly woven throughout of fine wiry fibres, with a few cobwebs 

 binding it on the outside ; there is no lining. It measures 50 mm. 

 in diameter at the brim, 30 mm. in external depth, and 25 mm. 

 internal. 



Myzomela obscura (Melomyza ohscura harterti).- — Dusky Honey- 

 eaters were common birds in the trees about our camp, where thej^ 

 seemed to be constantly searching the twigs and leaves for insects. 

 They are also common along the edge of the scrub. At our top 

 camp they were numerous in the trees along the river, and again at 

 the sandalwood landing there were many of them feeding on the 

 blossoming gums. Together with several other species of honey- 

 loving birds, they were often seen congregated on the flowering heads 

 of the umbrella-tree. They vary greatly in size. They were common 

 also on the Archer River. 



