THE FOOD OF AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. S3 



Ptilotis flavicollis. (M. 776 ; H. 338.) Yellow-throated Honey-eater. 



(a) Flinders Island, Bass Straits, 27th November, 1912. 

 Remains of elytra of beetles. 



(W.B.G.) Paropsis sp. (Chrysomelidce) ; fragment of small pupa 



(probably moth) and a few other insect remains ; plant seeds. 

 (J.H.M.) The seeds are of Leucopogon sp. 



(b) Flinders Island, Bass Straits, 22nd November, 1912. 

 Full of fragments of insects. 



(W.B.G.) Parts of a spider ; indeterminable fragments of insects. 



Ptilotis leucotis. (M. 778 ; H. 339.) White-eared Honey-eater. 



(a) Hawkesbury River, N.S.W., 12th June, 1909. 

 A beetle case ; some remains of other insects. 

 (W.W.F.) Chrysomelid beetle; heads of small ants. 



(b) Hawkesbury River, N.S.W., 26th October, 1909. 

 Fragments of beetles ; three eggs like ant eggs. 

 (W.W.F.) Fragments of beetles. 



(c) Middle ^arbour, 28th March, 1910. 

 Fragments of insects. 



(W.W.F.) Remains of wing covers of small beetles, probably obtained in 

 the flowers of the eucalypts all the honey-eaters are known to- 

 feed upon the small insects they find when sucking up the honey 

 of the flowers, but are only insectivorous in a minor degree. 



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



Fragments of beetles and insects ; a number of small vegetable fibres. 

 (W.W.F.) Legs of cercopid (froghopper) ; legs of native bee. 



Ptilotis melanops. (M. 781 ; H. 342.) Yellow-tufted Honey-eater. 



(a) Fragments of insects, chiefly beetles. 

 (W.W.F.) Remains of Hymenoptera^ 



(b) Molong, N.S.W. 



(E.W.F.) Insect remains Elytra of beetles (Diphucephala sp.?); head 

 of .weevil ( lAuletes). 



(c) - - 4th April, 1913. 



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



(d) Hawkesbury River, N.S.W., 3rd April, 1909. 

 Beetles. 



(e) Middle Harbour, 1st August, 1910. 

 Some minute fragments of insects. 



(W.W.F.) Insect remains small and indefinite; only some wings of 

 aphids can be determined. 



Ptilotis cratitia. (M. 783; H. 344.) Wattle-cheaked Honey-eater. 

 Coonalpyn, South Australia. 

 Fragments of insects. 

 (W.W.F.) Nearly all ant remains ; a number of winged forms. 



Ptilotis ornata. (M. 786 ; H. 348.) Yellow-plumed Honey-eater. 



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

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



(b) Blanchetown, South Australia, 27th November, 1913. 



(E.W.F.) Insect remains Unrecognisable fragments; legs of beetle, 



(c) Alawoona, South Australia, December, 1913. 

 (E.W T .F.) Insect remains Portions of small weevils. 



