184 Mr. R. Hall on Birds 
38. Ptilotis ornata. Yellow-plumed Honey-eater. 
(HalFs Key, p. 43.) 
Four ad. sk. Katanning. Oct. 4th to 7th, 1899. 
One of these skins shews a uniform grey head and under 
tail-coverts broadly marked upon the mid-rib in lanceolate 
fashion ; apart from this it resembles the others. 
One mile from the city of Perth a cup-like nest was found 
hanging from two slender twigs of a Eucalypt some twenty 
feet from the ground (9.11.99). It was made of wiry green 
grass and was slightly ornamented with spiders' webs. 
The lining was composed of " palm wooP' (Macrozamia), 
which is gathered by settlers to make head-rests for sleeping 
purposes. External diameter of nest 2'5 inches, internal 
diameter 2"1, depth of cavity 2. 
The bird insisted upon staying on its nest until the limb 
to which it was attached fell upon a branch below, and it was 
frightened away by my hands. 
39. Meliornis longirostris. Long-billed Honey-eater. 
(Hairs Key, p. 43.) 
Tor Bay, Albany. 
This bird is merely a western subspecies and so much 
resembles the eastern species M. novce-hullandice that to deter- 
mine to which form an individual belongs in an intermediate 
country such as South Australia will probably be extremely 
difficult. I agree with Dr. Ramsay ^ that Gould's account 
of the bill will be of no assistance in the case of the sub- 
species ; but I also notice that in my adult specimens the 
cheek-feathers are ^' a little longer, form a more ovate patch, 
and are slightly hair-like.'' The culmen measures 0"75 inch, 
0-75, 0-85. 
Description of an immature bird (D). — Forehead and crown 
brownish black ; nape blackish brown ; back similar to that of 
the adult ; the stripe retreating from above the eye whitish ; 
cheek-tufts and hair-like feathers upon the neck dirty white; 
' * < Tabular List of Australiau Birds,' Notes, p. 12 (1888). 
A. 
Ad. ^, 
26.9.99. 
B. 
Ad. S- 
29.9.99. 
C. 
Ad. ?. 
29.9.99. 
D. 
Imm. 
26.9.99. 
