^""I'm^'"^'] Whitlock, On the East Murchison. 211 



coated with pollen that 1 had to scrape it off with a knife. In the 

 early part of September they were breeding amongst the scrub on the 

 spinifex plain. The favourite nesting site was in the branches of the 

 handsome red-flowered Hakea multilineata, with its oleander-like 

 growth. On the East Murchison this shrub attains a height of 15 

 or 20 feet, and to reach one or two of these Honey-eaters' nests I had 

 to climb the lower branches. The nests were very substantial. 

 Outwardly they were made of dried spinifex and other grass stems, the 

 cup being wonderfully neat and lined with similar but finer material. 

 In the ten clutches of eggs I found not much variation in type is 

 apparent. One pair was pyriform, and these reminded me irresist- 

 ibly of miniature eggs of the European Marsh-Sandpiper (Totanns 

 stagnatilis). The latter bird is an accidental visitor to Australia. 

 During the breeding season the female is not much in evidence, but 

 the male careers around in his erratic flight, tossing himself vertically 

 in the air and in his descent uttering his piercing but monotonous 

 and long-drawn cry of " Te-titee-tee-tce.") 



Lesser Brown Honey-eater {Stigmatops subocularis). — Rare. 

 A pair or two around Lake Violet and again near Milly Pool. At the 

 latter locality I found a nest with young in a dense growth of 

 vegetation around the foot of a big mulga. 



Singing Honey-eater {Ptilotis sonora). — Fairly common, especially 

 on the spinifex plain. I obtained several typical nests with eggs. 



Yellow-fronted Honey-eater {Ptilotis plumula). — A very small 

 colony on the big spinifex plain to west of Bore Well. I was greatly 

 surprised to find them so far north and so far inland. They were 

 extremely local, and I could make nothing out regarding their nesting. 

 I shot several specimens for dissection, and none showed signs of 

 immediate breeding. It is possible they may have bred during the 

 summer rains, or perhaps some time after I left Bore Well. On my 

 return in mid-November I shot a fully-fledged nestling, which was 

 being fed by its parents. This was the only evidence of their breeding 

 I encountered. 



Carter Honey-eater {Ptilotis carteri). — I hardly expected to meet 

 with this species so far inland, but I even found a pair or two within 

 a stone's throw of the main street in Wiluna. At Milly Pool it was 

 common, and I found nests containing eggs, and also young. I saw 

 some evidence, in the presence of immature birds with pale brown 

 beaks, of this species having bred during the summer rains. These 

 immature birds were observed near Wiluna in July. 



Yellow-throated Miner (Myzantha flavigula). — A few around 

 Wiluna, but common near Milly Pool. When I arrived there on 17th 

 September, some pairs had young on the wing ; but other pairs were 

 building, and I found a number of nests, eventually securing several 

 fine clutches of eggs. All the nests I observed were fairly high up. 

 They were very substantially made, with a plentiful and very neatly 

 arranged lining of cow-hair, fur, or other soft material. The eggs were 

 three or four in number. 



Spiny-cheeked Honey-eater (Acanthogenys rufigularis). — Very 

 common on migration in July and August, but comparatively few 

 remained to breed. I found a very pretty nest on 20th July, with one 

 fresh egg. At Bore Well, the first week in September, I found nests 

 containing young just ready to fly, but at Milly Pool on 24th 



