BY E. P. RAMSAY, ESQ. 319 



in Western Australia. Upon the Bell Kiver, and near the Lachlan, 

 I found them very plentiful in company with the P. temporalis, 

 and have frequently found several nests of both species built in the 

 same clump of trees, for which purpose they show preference to 

 the thick bushy tops of a species of Acacia, allied to the " Myall." 



Mr. Or. Krefffc informs me that the nest and eggs of the 

 P. ruficeps so closely resemble those of the P. superciliosus, that 

 the one description will answer for both species. The eggs of the 

 P. ruficeps have, however, more commonly a clouded band round 

 the centre, which is also visible in some specimens of the eggs of 

 P. superciliosus. 



Specimens sent to me from the Darling River, as the eggs of 

 P. ruficeps, are somewhat larger than one would expect from the 

 size of the bird, and are lighter in colour, clouded with a purple 

 brown, with a very few streaks of a darker hue, in length 10 lines 

 by 7^. The eggs of P. rubeculus I have not yet seen. This species 

 is confined to the northern portion of Australia, where it takes 

 the place of the P. temporalis of New South Wales. P. iemporalis 

 is the oldest known species, and was described by Latham under 

 the name of Turd/us frivolus. 



XANTHOMYZA PHRTGIA. 



The Wart-faced Honey-eater. (Gould, B. Austr., Vol. IV., pi. 41.) 

 PI. I., Fig. 3. 



Although this species was at one time plentiful in our neigh- 

 bourhood, it has of late years become rare, and can now only be 

 looked upon as an occasional visitor. I found a few specimens 

 feeding in the Eucalyptus trees the year before last (1863), but 

 had not previously seen any since June, 1859, when they arrived 

 in great numbers, and literally swarmed in the swamp-mahogany 

 trees, Eucalyptus sp., which were then in bloom, their bright 

 yellow and black plumage contrasting beautifully with the green 

 foliage and still greener plumage of the various Parakeets, with 

 which the tree was crowded. * 



* ISince these notes were written, this species has again visited us in 

 immense numbers, and many pairs have remained and bred in the neighbour- 

 hood of Sydney, their stay lasting from August to December, 1865. 



