nance from the nectar ot liowers, and which ihey extract on the 

 wing by means of their long tubular tongues. 



It is singular, that while our first ornithological writers were 

 distributing the numerous species of these birds in their systems, 

 under such of the LinnaBan genera as they thought most adapted 

 for their reception, a naturalist of a remote colony should be the 

 first who, by creating a new genus, brought them all into their 

 proper situation in systematic arrangement; one of the many 

 proofs that IS ature, and Nature only, is to be studied ; and that 

 no system, how^ever ingenious or however applauded, can be con- 

 sidered as infallible. 



By an error (no doubt of the press) in the specific character of 

 this bird in Latham's Index, the eye stripe is called white, though 

 in the description it is termed black. J\Ir. Stephens has copied 

 this error into " General Zoology ;" and his description of this 

 bird, as well as numberless others, seems merely an abridge- 

 ment or alteration of Latham's ; a practice highly detrimental 

 to science ; for, when an original description cannot be obtained, 

 it is much better, and safer, to copy without disguise that of 

 another. 



How^ far all the birds included by Temminck in this genus 

 really belong to it, admits of very great doubt ; I have therefore 

 constructed the generic character from those birds of New Hol- 

 land only which Lewan, who founded the genus, must have had 

 before him. 



Total length seven inches and a half; bill seven-tenths, the 

 frontal feathers advancing half its length to the nostrils ; those of 

 the ears are lengthened, but the yellow tuft behind them is much 

 more so ; the feathers of the chin are small, thick-set, and ending 

 in fine setaceous hairs curved outw-ards ; the breast and body 

 pale brownisll-yello^v. Quills and tail dark-brown, margined 

 with deep-yellowish ; the two lateral tail-feathers tipt with dirty 

 white ; plumage above olive-brown ; front and crown of the head 

 dark brownish-yellow ; bill black; legs brownish, inner- toe very 

 deeply cleft. Tail, from the rump, three inches and a half long, 

 and slightly rounded. 



Latham, who first described this bird, says, " it makes its nest 

 on the extreme pendent branches of low trees or shrubs, and by 

 this means escapes the plunder of smaller quadrupeds." It ap- 

 pears not uncommon in New South Wales. 



