VII 



MELIPHAGIDAE 565 



connected ; the wings are variable in length, Melithreptes possess- 

 ing comparatively small secondaries, Anthornis an abruptly 

 narrowed second primary. The tail also varies in size ; it is much 

 rounded in Melidectes and Meliphaga, square in Acanthorhynchus, 

 emarginated in Anthornis } and particularly long and graduated 

 with pointed rectrices in Acrulocercus and Chaetoptila A. nobilis 

 having the median pair produced and spirally twisted, A. apicalis 

 the ends upturned. Pogonornis has strong rictal bristles. 



The Myzomelinae are usually habited in scarlet and black, as 

 in the Soldier-bird of Australia (Myzomela sanguinolenta), with or 

 without white or yellowish below ; some, however, are chiefly or 

 entirely olive or greyish-brown, while the females generally differ 

 from the males, and the former occasionally shew red when the 

 latter do not. A second genus, Acanthorhynchus, or Cobbler's Awl, 

 is brown, chestnut, buff, black, and white. In the Meliphaginae 

 the sexes are commonly alike, and exhibit a mixture of brown, 

 olive, yellow, black, white, grey, rufous, and buff ; the under parts 

 frequently, and the upper rarely, being streaked or spotted. 

 Metallic hues are rare, but Anthornis has a purplish gloss on 

 the head. Leptornis, Entomyza, Philemon, Melitograis, and Pycno- 

 pygius are instances of dusky or olive coloration with lighter 

 lower surface ; Prosthemadera and Certhionyx leucomelas are black 

 and white ; Plectrorhynchus is brown and white ; Meliphaga is 

 yellow and black, spotted and barred below. The Hawaiian 

 Acrulocercus is black or brownish, with a little white on the wings 

 or tail, and possesses yellow axillary tufts and under tail-coverts, save 

 in A. Iraccatus, where the tufts are grey-buff, the tibiae are yellow, 

 the throat is barred with white, and the lower parts are streaky. 

 A. lishopi has yellow ear-tufts. Their close ally, Chaetoptila, of the 

 same islands, is light brown and yellowish above, with white spots, 

 and a black cheek-stripe ; the under surface being white with brown 

 streaks, and the rump and flanks ochreous. The neck- and breast- 

 plumage is lanceolate and decomposed. Many species of Ptilotis 

 have white or yellow ear-tufts ; the male of Pogonornis possesses 

 white erectile post-ocular feathers ; that of Prosthemadera two gular 

 patches of curled white filamentary plumes, which give it the name 

 of Parson-bird, as well as pointed white feathers curving forward 

 from the sides of the neck.' In two members of Meliornis white 

 fan -like shields spring from the cheeks ; Glycyphila albifrons has 

 a white circum-ocular ring ; while many forms have peculiar cheek- 



