52 stray Feathers. [i.^uiy 



pygia acuminata). They were in shape and marking like an im- 

 mature Snipe, the bill being about i inch or \\i inches long, 

 slightly depressed at the end ; the legs and feet light green, 

 extremely delicate, the former measuring about 4 inches ; head, 

 neck, back, and wings soft grey, the wing coverts and tail having 

 the faintest olive tinge ; the tail delicate and pointed and 

 prominent in flight. The birds were frequenting shallow grass- 

 grown pools on the marshy wastes, and they did not run like 

 a Dottrel, but seemed to stand about and pick here and there. 

 I noticed the white breast and front or belly had delicate streaks 

 of black, more especially about the thighs and vent ; the thighs 

 were white, under tail coverts white, and the wings underneath 

 delicate black and white, like a Snipe. The local residents 

 regarded these birds as rare. — ROBT. W. Legge. Cullenswood, 

 Tas. 



* * * 



Meliphagid.e and Melitose. — On 19th December Dr. J. 

 Burton Cleland and myself observed a number of birds feeding 

 upon " manna " which was exuding from a large wound in a 

 grey gum {Eucalyptus punctata) at Milson Island, Hawkesbury 

 River. Among them my colleague identified Ptilotis aui'icoinis 

 (Yellow-tufted Honey-eater), P. cJirysops iy^eWo^-id^zt^ Honey- 

 eater), P. leucotis (White-eared Honey-eater), Melithreplus lunu ■ 

 latus (White-naped Honey-eater), M. brevirostris (Brown- 

 headed Honey-eater), and MelipJiaga phrygia (Warty-faced 

 Honey-eater). The birds flew down from the uppermost 

 branches of the neighbouring trees, and, clinging to the large 

 trunk of the grey gum, licked the yellowish exudation with the 

 greatest relish. So eager were they that, as we stood near the 

 tree, numbers of them, while looking for a foothold upon the 

 tree trunk, fluttered round our heads. A photograph of the 

 birds clinging to the tree was taken, but they did not show up 

 well against the dark background. A small branch was there- 

 fore thrust into a portion of the wound in the tree, and a very 

 good photograph of seven specimens of Ptilotis aurtcomis, in 

 various positions, was obtained. (See plate VI.) The exuda- 

 tion from the tree had a very sweet taste, and such exudations 

 are apparently used as a supplementary food by Honey-eaters 

 when they have located a tree where a supply is to 

 be obtained. The "manna" from the grey gum has been 

 proved by Mr. H. G. Smith, F.C.S., of the Sydney Technological 

 Museum, to contain as its principal constituent the sugar known 

 as raffinose or melitose.— G. P. Darnell-Smith. Sydney, 

 28/4/10. 



* * * 



The Blue Wren of Tasmania : Additional N(jtes. — 

 The curious tactics adopted by the female Malurus in her 



