8 Order Passeriformes, Family Meliphagidae, Genus Ptilotula. 



Order Passeriformes, Family Meliphagidae, 

 Genus Ptilotula. 



Ptilotula penicillata whitei (Mathews) — Southern White- 

 plumed Honey-Eater. 



Ptilotula penicillata whitei. — Forehead yellowish green, 

 becoming darker towards the crown, and fading into brownish 

 grey on the back. Lores and ear coverts, light greenish yellow. 

 Ear coverts bordered posteriorly by a narr.ow line of black, 

 behind which is a conspicuous line of white silky feathers. 

 Back, brownish grey. Upper tail coverts, grey, tinged with 

 green. 



Chin, throat, and breast, grey, each feather tipped with 

 yellowish green. Abdomen, grey. Thighs and flanks, grey. 

 Under tail coverts, very light yellow. 



Wing — Primaries and secondaries, outer webbs bright 

 yellow green, inner webbs black on the upper surface; under 

 surface, grey. The lower portion of the outer webbs of the 

 second to sixth primaries, white. 



Wing coverts — Outer webbs, yellow green; inner webbs, 

 black. 



Tail — Upper surface, two central feathers dull green; late- 

 ral feathers, outer webbs yellow green; inner webbs black, 

 the tips narrowly edged with white. Under surface, grey. 



Bill, black. Legs and feet, dark brown. Iris, black. 

 Average measurements : — 



Total length .... 15.25 cm. 



Wing 8.15 cm. 



Tail 7.85 cm. 



Tarsus 1.95 cm. 



Culmen 1.15 cm. 



An exceptionally large and very darkly coloured bird in 

 the Adelaide Museum measures: — 



Total length .... 17.50 cm. 



Wing 8.90 cm. 



Tail 8.90 cm. 



Tarsus 2.00 cm. 



Culmen 1.30 cm. 



The sexes are alike, and the young resemble the parents 

 in colour. 



