MYZOMELA ERYTHROCEPHALA. 



(Red-headed Honey Eater.) 



♦- 



Male : Head, throat, and rump, scarlet ; back, wings, and tail, and band across the chest, bkck ; the remainder of the under surface, brown. 

 Female : Uniform brown above ; lighter brown beneath. 



Length, 4| inches ; wing, 2\ ; tail, If ; bill, f ; tarsus, |. 



This rare and very distinct species was procured by Grilbert at Port Essington, where it was found to frequent the extensive 

 beds of mangroves bordering the sea, ; and to collect its food from the flowers, flitting from one branch to another, and uttering its rather 

 sharp and harsh chirrup. 



MYZOMELA SANGUINOLENTA. 



(Sanguineous Honey Eaier.) 



Male : Head, neck, breast, back, and upper tail coverts, rich scarlet — the two latter much intermingled with black ; lores, wings, and tail, 

 black ; wing coverts, margined with white, and primaries with light grey ; flanks, grey ; abdomen, under surface of wing, and under tail 

 coverts, white— the latter marked with light grey down the centre of each feather ; bill, black ; feet, brown ; irides, dark brown. Female : 

 Brown above ; light grey beneath. 



Length, 4i inches ; wing, 2i ; tail, 1| ; bill, i ; tarsus, |. 



This handsome little honey-eater is common in, and is, I believe, confined to, the eastern portions of New South Wales and 

 Queensland, and frequents the various flowering trees in pursuit of its food, which consists of pollen and insects. Its note is sweet and loud, 

 and frequently uttered as it darts from branch to branch. The nest is a small cup-shaped structure of strings of bark, lined with a cottony 

 substance. It was found near Liverpool in 1857, by Mr. Waller, and contained two young birds. 



MYZOMELA PECTORALIS. 



(Banded Honey Eater.) 



FoEEHEAD, crown of the head, upper surface, wings, tail, and a band across the chest, black ; throat, upper tail coverts, and abdomen, white. 

 Length, 4^ inches ; wing, 2| ; tail. If ; bill, f ; tarsus, |. 



This species is pretty plentiful at Cape York, from whence several specimens, collected in 1868, were brought by Messrs. 

 Cockerill and Thorpe. All the specimens obtained by them were mottled with brown on the back. In its habits it resembles its congeners 

 in feeding on honey and insects. 



MYZOMELA NIGEA. 



(Black Honey Eater.) 



Male : Head, all the upper surface, wings, and a stripe down the centre of the abdomen, black ; the remainder of the plumage, pure white ; 

 bill and feet, black. Female : Head, all the upper surface, wings, and tail, brown ; under surface, brownish white ; bill, brown ; feet, brownish 

 black ; irides, dark brown. 



Length, 4f inches ; wing, 2i ; tail, 1| ; bill, I ; tarsus, i 



This species is found over a large extent of country, but, I believe, has never been seen on any of the waters of the eastern 

 coast. It is not uncommon in the myall country of New South Wales and Western Australia ; and it is also occasionally found in the south- 

 western portion of Queensland, actively employed among the blossoms of the myall, varying its nectarine food by the addition of such small 



insects as are attracted by the highly scented blossoms. 



[oyer. 



