Birds of Melville Island. 139 



153. Stomiopera unicolor brenda. Melville-Island White- 

 gaped Honey-eater. 



Ptilotis unicolor hrenda Mathews^ Austral Av. Eec. vol. i. 

 1912, p. 50 : Melville Island, 



These birds are sparingly distributed in the forest-country. 

 On the heavily timbered creeks they are rather numerous. 

 The creeks usually have a dense growth of creepers, etc., 

 covering the big trees, and in places the trees are covered 

 with a cane not unlike ratan ; near these dense growths 

 the birds are most abundant. A few were seen on the north 

 side in the jungles. They feed on berries, small figs, 

 honey and insects, and are non-migratory. 



154. Myzantha flavigula melvillensis. Melville - Island 

 Yellow Minah. 



Myzantha flavigula melvillensis Mathews, Austral Av. Rec. 

 vol. i. 1912, p. 51 : Melville Island. 



These birds are fairly numerous on the high ridge four 

 miles from Apsley Straits, but are never seen near the sea 

 or on the north side. They go in flocks of about twenty 

 birds, and are very noisy and inquisitive. If one is wounded 

 and calls out, the whole flock quickly gathers round. They 

 feed on honey and insects, searching for the latter on the 

 ground. 



155. Entomyzon cyanotis apsleyi. Melville-Island White- 

 quilled Honey-eater. 



Entomyzon cyanotis apsleyi Mathews, Austral Av. Rec. 

 vol. i. 1912, p. 51 : Melville Island. 



Very plentiful where trees are in bloom, especially on the 

 north side. They are usually seen in small parties of about 

 half a dozen individuals. 



156. Philemon argenticeps argenticeps. Silvery-crowned 

 Friar-Bird. 



Tropidorhynchus argenticeps Gould, Proc. Zool. Soc. 

 for 1839, 1840, p. 144 : Port Essington. 



This species is the common Friar-Bird of the Island, and 

 is found both in the forest-country and in the mangroves 



SER. X. VOL. II. K 



