TiiR Gahrulous Honey-eater. BIRDS. The Com.mox CitEi;rKn. 



317 



reddish-brown. A very siniiliir but larger species, in 

 wliich the naked space above the eye is pale green or 

 yellow, inhabits Western Australia ; it is described by 

 "jlr. Gould under the name of the Swan ElviiK HONEY- 

 EATER (.1/. r!i/orop.sis.) 



THE BLACKHKADED HONEY -EATER {Melithrepius 

 mrlanocep/ial/is), which is also very similar to the pre- 

 ci'ding, is destitute of the white crescent on the back of 

 the head, and has a black mark on each side of the 

 chest. Tlie naked space above the eye is white, with 

 a slight greenish tinge. This bird appears to be pecu- 

 liar to Van Diemen's Land, where it is very ab\uidant 

 and shows a decided preference for the Eucahjpti. It 

 feeds on uisccts, the pollen and honey of flowers, and 

 on fruit. 



THE GARRULOUS HONEY-EATER [Mij-Mntha gar- 

 rula), an inhabitant of New South Wales, South 

 Australia, and Van Diemen's Land, is a much larger 

 s]iecies than the preceding, measuring between ten and 

 eleven inches in length. Its general colour is gi'eyish, 

 paler beneath ; the ciown of the head and ear-coverts 

 are black ; there is a naked yellow spot behind each 

 eye, and the bill and feet are yellow. The wings are 

 also tinged with yellow. It inhabits thinly-timbered 

 districts, and is of so restless and inquisitive a disposi- 

 tion that it becomes a perfect nuisance to the traveller 

 through its haunts. " No sooner," says Mr. Gould, 

 " does tlie hunter come within the precincts of its 

 abode than the whole troop assemble round him and 

 perform the most grotesque actions, spi-cading out their 

 wings and tail, hanging from the branches in every 

 possible variety of position, and sometimes suspended 

 by one leg, keeping up all the time one incessant bab- 

 bling note. Were this only momentary, or for a short 

 time, their droll attitudes and singular note would be 

 rather amusing than otherwise ; but when they follow 

 you throiigh the entire forest, leaping and flying from 

 branch to branch, and almost butteting the dogs, they 

 become very troublesome and annoying, awakening, as 

 they do, the suspicions of the other animals ot which 

 you are in pursuit." The food of this species resembles 

 that of the other Honey-eaters, hut it appears to capture 

 many insects on trees and on the ground. 



Other nearly-allied species inhabit different parts of 

 Australia, such as the Sombre Honey-katek {^[. 

 ohscura) in Swan Hiver, and the Luteous Hoxey- 

 kater {M. hitc(i) in Northern Australia. 



THE EELL-EIRS {Myzantha mdanophrya) is an 

 inhabitant of New South Wales, where it dwells in 

 the swampy bushes. Its habits resemble those of the 

 Garrulous Honey-eater, and it is also a noisy bird. 

 The appellation of " Befl-bird," given to it by the 

 colonists, refers to a peculiar, faint, tinkling sound 

 uttered by the bird, and which is compared to that 

 of distant sheep-bolls. This note is heard with delight 

 by the traveller, as an indication that water is at haml. 

 The Belhbird is rather more than seven inches in 

 length, and of a general yellowish-olive colour, with 

 the knvcr surface paler than the upper, and with a 

 blackish-hrown tinge on the wings; the head has a 

 black spot at the base ot the lower mandible, a black 

 ring round the eye, a yellow spot in front of the eye, 

 and a red one behmd it. 



Family V.— CERTHIAD.'E. 



This, which is the last family of the tenuirostral sec- 

 tion of the passerine birds, includes a great variety of 

 forms, and many of them make a very close approach 

 in their characters to the more slender-billed forms 

 of the next group ; but the tip of the upper mandible 

 is almost always destitute of the notch or tooth, which 

 is characteristic of the dentirostral birds. The hill is 

 generally elongated ; but, in this respect, the birds vary 

 greatly, as also in the degree of curvation of the bill, 

 wdiich, however, is usually but small. The tip of the 

 upper mandible is generally acute. The nostrils are 

 situated at the base of the bill, where they lie in a small 

 groove, and ai"e covered by a membranous scale. The 

 structure of the feet varies greatly in this family; but 

 the tarsi are generally short, and the toes long and 

 armed with strong, curved claws. This is especially 

 the case in the typical species, which are organized for 

 running upon the trunks and branches of trees in search 

 of the insects which constitute their food. These are 

 commonly known as creepers, and their movements and 

 general aspect, when engaged in the search for food, 

 are so like those of small mammals, that, at the first 

 glance, they might easily be mistaken for some small 

 species of mice. These birds possess the power of 

 singing, which is exerted by some species in a very 

 pleasing manner. Tliey are distributed in all parts of 

 the world. 



THE COMMON BROWN CREEPER {Certhia fami- 

 liaris) — Plate 9, fig. 28— wdiich is one of the few 

 species of this family found in Britain, may be taken as 

 tlie type of the group. It is a small bird, measuring 

 only a little more than five inches in length ; and from 

 this and its general dull brown colour, coupled with its 

 shy and retiring habits, although a common British biid 

 it is comparatively rarely seen. This species occurs 

 in all parts of Europe, but becomes rare in Russia and 

 Northern Asia ; it is, however, a well-known bird in 

 North America, where it is known as the Brown 

 Creeper. Its favourite haunts are woods, plantations, 

 and jiarks, where it may be seen running in every 

 direction over the bark of trees, searching in the cre- 

 vices for its insect prey, and after completing its exami- 

 nation of one tree, flying off to repeat the process on 

 the next. It is fond of passing rapidly in this way 

 from tree to tree, and for this reason often haunts 

 avenue.s. While thus engaged, its activity in running 

 about upon the rough bark is astonishing ; and if 

 alarmed, it vanishes in an instant, passing round the 

 trunk of the tree with the greatest ease, so as to place 

 an effectual barrier betw-een itself ami the apprehended 

 danger. In all these climbing operations the long, 

 curved, and acute claws with which its toes are armed, 

 are greatly assisted by the elongated and stiff feathers 

 of the tail, of which the tips are more or less worn away. 

 The nest of the Common Creeper is made in the 

 hollow of a tree ; and for this purpose it usually selects 

 a hole which has a very small external aperture, so as 

 to prevent its enemies from getting access to its con- 

 cealed treasures. Sometimes, however, it builds a 

 regular uost attached to the iuucr surfiice ot the 



