HONEY-EATERS. 



67 



" It is interesting to watch the birds plucking hair 

 off while perched on the backs of cattle, and rather a 

 difficult task it proves for the -bird to effect lodgment, 

 especially if the cow patronised 'be not in an amiable 

 mood, when she tosses her head angrily and switches 

 her tail from flank to flank, while the bird, fluttering 

 over, waits an opportunity to dodge the appendage, 

 and between each lash plucks a few hairs till a mouth- 

 ful is obtained, then flies to its nest." 



Mr. Campbell describes the nest and eggs as follows : 

 -" Nest : Cup-shaped, deep ; well constructed of fine 

 bark and grass, matted together with spiders' cocoons ; 

 lined inside with a warm ply of cow or other hair ; 

 usually placed near the ground, in a thick bush or in 

 low scrub. Dimensions over all, 3 inches to 4 inches 

 by 2^ to 3^ inches in depth ; egg cavity 2 inches across 

 by 1 inches deep. 



" Eggs : Clutch two usually, three occasionally ; 

 stout oval ; texture fine ; surface slightly glcssy ; colour 

 almost white, but sometimes of a delicate flesh-tint, 

 sparingly but distinctly marked and spotted with 

 pinkish-red, the spots being more about the upper 

 quarter. Dimensions in inches of a proper pair ; (1) 

 .B6 x -64, (2) .85 x .63." "Nests and Eggs of Aus- 

 tralian Birds," pp. 396-7. 



The Zoological Gardens of Hamburg received a single 

 example of this Honey-eater in 1881, and Dr. Russ 

 believes that up to the present time this is the only 

 instance of its importation. 



YELLOW-TUFTED HONEY-EATER (Ptilctis auricomis). 



Above dark brown, slightly olivaceous ; primaries 

 and tail-feathers margined with olive-yellow ; crown of 

 head olive-yellow ; a black line from base of -bill, en- 

 circling the eye and extending over the ear-coverts ; 

 t>ehind the latter a tuft of extremely rich yellow feathers 

 extends backwards ; throat bright yellow ; remainder 

 of under-surface brownish-yellow; bill black; feet 

 blackish-brown ; irides reddish-brown. Female similar 

 in colouring, but smaller. Hab., Queensland, New 

 South Wales, and Victoria. 



Gould says: "The Yellow -tufted Honey-eater is 

 abundant in New South Wales, inhabiting at one season 

 <or other every portion of the country ; the brushes near 

 the coast, the flowering trees of the plains, and those of 

 the sides and crowns of the hills towards the anterior 

 "being alike tenanted by it. It is an active, animated 

 species, flitting -with a darting flight from tree to tree, 

 and threading the most thicklv-leaved branches with 

 a varietv -of sprightly actions." " Handb. Birds Aus- 

 tral.," Vol I., p. 511. 



Gould quotes an account of the nidifiration published 

 'by Dr. Ramsay in The Ibis for 1864, but the following 

 later account quoted by Mr. Campbell is, I fancy, more 

 exact: "This species remains with us in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Sydnev throughout the whole year, breed- 

 Ing earlier than the generality of Honey-eaters. We 

 have eggs in our collection taken earlv in June and as 

 late a.s the end of October, during which month they 

 sometimes have a third ibrood. August and September 

 seem to be their principal months for breeding. Upon 

 referring to my notebook, I find that I captured two 

 young birds, well able to fly, on July 18th, 1863 ; but 

 rlurini<r some seasons birds breed here much earlier than 

 in others. The nest is a neat but somewhat bulky 

 structure, open above, and composed of strips of the 

 springy bark Eitrali/ptits nbliqua. The total length of 

 the nest is about 4 inches bv from 2^ inches to 3 inches 

 wide, being 2 inches deep by 1J^ inches inside. The eggs, 

 which are usuallv two in number, are of a pale flesh- 

 pink, darker at the larger end, where they are spotted 



and blotched with markings of a much deeper hue, 

 inclining to salmon-colour ; in some the markings form 

 a ring upon the thick end, in others one irregular patch 

 with a few dots upon the rest of the surface. When 

 freshly taken they have a beautiful blush of pink, which 

 they generally lose a few days after being blown. Their 

 length is from ten to eleven lines by seven to eight in 

 breadth. Some varieties have a few obsolete dots of 

 faint lilac, others are without markings, save one patch 

 at the top of the larger end. Like most of our Aus- 

 tralian birds' eggs, they vary much in shape and tint 

 of colour. The site selected for the nest is usually 

 some low, bushy shrub, among the rich clusters of 

 Tccoma australis, or carefully hidden in the thick tufts 

 of Blechnum (B. cartilagineum] , which often cover a 

 space of many square yards. In these clumps, where it- 

 clings to the stems of ferns, I have several times found 

 two or three pairs breeding at the same time within a 

 few yards of each other. The ferns and Tecomce seem 

 to be their favourite places for breeding, although the 

 nests may often be found placed suspended between 

 forks in the small bushy oaks (Casuarina)." 



Dr. Ramsay says that, " like most of its tribe, the 

 Yellow-tufted Honey-eater is very partial to fruit, and 

 during the latter end of February and throughout the 

 month of March the pear trees swarm with this and 

 many other species. During the orange season also 

 they visit us in great numbers, and many may be seen 

 fighting over the half-decayed fruit with which the 

 ground at that time it literally strewed." This seems 

 an important item to bear in mind in the event of my 

 readers becoming possessed of examples of any of these 

 birds. 



According to Campbell, the breeding-season is from 

 July to January. 



The Zoological Gardens of Berlin became possessed 

 of an example of this charming species early in 1894. 

 The following was the food supplied to it: "Early in 

 the morning, on alternate days, mealworms and fresh 

 ant-cocoons; at eight o'clock, biscuit and any fruit 

 that happened to be in season, and in addition a date 

 stuck between the bars of the cage. Towards eleven 

 a little shredded raw meat, of which, however, it would 

 only suck up the juice. At one o'clock the staple food, 

 consisting of sopped bread or crumbled white bread and 

 cooked or grated carrot, a little rice, boiled egg, varied 

 with minced figs or small and large raisins, with a 

 little sugar sprinkled over the whole. In the after- 

 noon something quite soft, yellow salad (whatever that 

 may be), and, in conclusion, towards evening bread 

 soaked in milk." If that bird did not die from chronic 

 indigestion I cnn only say that the Honey-eaters must 

 be the most vigorous creatures in existence. In 1899 

 a pair reached the London Gardens. 



YELLOW HONEY-EATER (Ptilotis flavd). 



Upper surface olivaceous-grey ; head yellow, a spot 

 of blackish-brown under the ear-coverts, with a bright 

 yellow patch behind it ; under-parts citron-yellow ; 

 length, 6iin. ; colouring of soft parts not noted by 

 Gould. Hab., coastal region of North Queensland, in- 

 cluding the Gulf of Carpentaria. {Campbell.) 



As it is doubtful whether this bird has hitherto been 

 imported, I will merely note that, according to Mr. 

 J. A. Boyd and others, the nest is usually suspended 

 by the rim to the thin leafy twigs of a cumquat (orange) 

 tree, but sometimes in a ficus or a mango ; is mostly 

 composed of cocoanut fibre ; the eggs, two in number, 

 are of fine texture, without gloss, pinky-white, marked 

 chiefly at the small end with blotches of light chestnut 

 or pinkish-brown and light purplish-brown. 



