142 TSATUEAL HISTOET SKETCHES. 



largest, which was by far the commonest, was about the 

 size of the British yellowhammer, but longer, and not so 

 thick ; it was a bold-looking bird, the ground-plumage 

 black, brown, and white; a white moustache on each 

 cheek, a white eye, long curved beak, and feathery 

 tongue ; the wing-feathers edged with bright yellow. 

 This was a noisy, restless bird, had a shrill, loud call-note, 

 used to congregate in small flocks, and they often had a 

 battle-royal among themselves, which much reminded me 

 of many a similar scene with the old sparrows in the 

 hedge-rows of the stackyards at home. The other variety 

 was smaller, much duller in plumage, wanted the mous- 

 tache, and had a kind of dark brown crescent on the 

 breast : it was rarer, and frequented more secluded 

 localities, such as deep gullies and thick tea-tree scrub. 



I have seen a species of Bee-eater, which was killed up 

 the Plenty, exactly resembling the British bee-eater in 

 shape, but not so large or pretty ; I never met with one 

 in our parts. 



The Warty-faced Honey-eater is a very pretty bird, 

 nearly as large as the English starling, of a deep black 

 colour, spotted with bright yellow ; a pale red naked cere 

 round the eye, and beak covered with small warts : it was 

 a rare and uncertain visitant to our district ; generally 

 came in large flocks ; flew high over the tree-tops, into 

 which they would drop, after the manner of the waxwing 

 on the rowan trees of northern Europe : they were wild 

 and shy, and the call-note was a low soft whistle. 



The thirsty traveller, when wandering over these 



