THE FOOD OF AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. 79 



Melithreplus brevirostris. (M. 741 ; H. 313.) Short-billed Honey-eater. 



(a) Sydney, 21st August, 1909. 



A grub ; fragments of insects' bodies and wings. 

 (W.W.F.) Larva of moth and remains of ground beetles. 



(b) Sydney, 8th May, 1909. 



(W.W.F.) Jaws of spider; remains of beetle larvoo. 

 <(c) 2nd April, 1909. 



(W.W.F.) Larva of lamellicorn beetle. 

 . (d) Sydney, 15th October, 1909. 



A few insect remains; (?) part of a spider. 

 (W.W.F.) Coleoptera. 



(e) Middle Harbour, 28th March, 1910. 



Several small grubs; remains of a small brownish spider with a numbar 

 of small white young ones. 



(W.W.F.) Six spiders of different species a number of small ones, 

 probably on the back of one of the adult spiders when eaten ; head of 

 a froghopper (Homoptera) ; a number of lepidopterous larvae of 

 various moths. This is, by the contents of its stomach, one of our 

 good insectivorous birds. 



(f) Coonalpyn, South Australia. 

 Fragments of insects. 



(\V.W.F.) Remains of beetles and several small moth larvae. 



(g) Mannum, South Australia, 26th November, 1913. 

 (E . W.F. ) Insect remains unrecognisable. 



{h) Mannum, South Australia, 26th November, 1913. 



(E.W.F.) Insect remains elytra of beetle, 

 (i) Milson Island, Hawkesbury River, 16th June, 1912. 

 Fragments of insects; portions of green caterpillar; a smell of Euca- 

 lyptus in the stomach. 



(W.W.F.) Remains of Psyllidce; small beetle; moth caterpillar ; fly 

 maggot; remains of spider. 



Mdithreptus affinis. (M. 7442.) 



Flinders Island, Bass Straits, 25th November, 1914. 

 (E.W.F.) Insect remains elytra of beetles; otherwise unrecogni- 

 sable. 



PlectrorhampJms lanceolatus. (M. 745; H. 316.) Striped Honey-eater, 

 {a) Queensland. 



A mass of vegetable hairs ; some fragments of insects. 

 (W.W.F.) Remains of small caterpillar, 

 (b) Queensland. 



Three round black seeds. 



(E.M.) Geijera. (See M. 7; H. 567.) 



Myzomela nigra, Gould. (M. 748; H. 296.) Black Honey-eater. 

 Molong, N.S.W. 



(E.W.F.) Insect remains Coleoptera (ArMcus sp. [2]); hymen- 

 opterous remains. 



Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris. (M. 752 ; H. 299.) Spine-billed Honey-eater, 

 (a) Sydney, 8th May, 1909. 



(W.W.F.) Chiefly the remains of house flies (Musca domestica or Musca 

 corvina). 



