on more Australian bird types.



267



insects form a large portion of their food, while not a few are

incorrigible fruit-stealers. Among the latter the chief offenders are

the Yellow-faced Honey-eater ( Ptilotis chrysops), the White-eared

Honey-eater (P. leucotis), the Garrulous Honey-eater, or “ Soldier-

bird ” ( Myzantha garrula), and the well-known Friar-bird, or

“ Leatherhead ” ( Tropidorhynchus corniculatus), which is very des¬

tructive.


The clear, confident, swish-like note terminating in a vigorous

crack of the Whip-bird ( Psophodes crepitans) is more often heard in

the low, dense undergrowth than this wary bird is seen. It inhabits

the coastal districts and contiguous mountain ranges of eastern New

South Wales, and occurs in favourable situations in the outlying

suburbs of Sydney.


To the Family Certhiidse belong the White-throated Tree-

creeper ( Climacteris scandens), the Brown Tree-creeper (C. leuco-

phcea ), inhabiting the open forest-lands and mountain ranges of

eastern and central New South Wales, the Bed Eye-browed Tree-

creeper ( C. erythrops), and the White Eye-browed Tree-creeper (C.

superciliosa), of western New South Wales. The food of these

species, which consists of insects, is obtained chiefly on or under¬

neath the bark of trees.


The Family Dicaeidat, with a single representative in Aus¬

tralia, has an important action on its flora. The Mistletoe-bird

(Dicceum hirundinaceum) , generally distributed over Now South

Wales, feeds largely on the viscid berries of the Loranthus, which it

passes entire, and thus assists in the distribution of this parasite.


The Order Alectoricles only contains two species. The Aus¬

tralian Crane ( Grus australasiana ), widely known all over the

continent as the “ Native Companion,” at times commits great

havoc, eating the seed on newly-planted grain-fields. The other,

the Australian Bustard ( Eupodotis australis), locally called the

“ Plain Turkey,” is an inhabitant of the great plains of central and

western New South Wales. It is a most useful bird, feeding largely

upon insects procured on the ground about grass paddocks : ex¬

tremely wary, and much sought after for the table.


Of the Sub-class Batitce, one of the two species representing

the Order Casuami in Australia, and inhabiting New South Wales, is



