374 THE BIEDS OF AUSTRALIA 



Genus Plectrorhamphus. 

 Bill slightly shorter than rest of head, quite straight and 

 much pointed, culmen rounded. Tail square, nine-tenths the 

 length of the wing. Pattern plain, under parts white, upper 

 brown, mottled with whitish on the head. Australia. 



The Striped Honey-eater. 



Plectrorhamphus lanceolatus. 



Soutli Australia and the Eastern States. 



Crown of head, ear-coverts, sides of neck and hind-neck mottled with 

 blackish brown and white; centre of back greyish -brown, with darker 

 centres to the feathers; wings and tail light-brown; rest of upper surface 

 greyish-brown; cheeks and all the under parts pure white; bill dark bluish 

 horn-colour; feet light-blue; iris brown. Total length 9 inches, eulmen 

 .8, wing 4.7, tail 4.4, tarsus 1.1. Female a little smaller. 



Sub-family Mysom,eUn{B. 

 Tail about two-thirds the length of the wing. Myzomela. 

 Tail about equal to the length of the wing. Acanthor- 

 hynchus. 



Genus Myzomela. 

 Bill longer than rest of head, slender and curved. Tail 

 two-thirds the length of the wing. Principal colours of male 

 red and black. Female generally plain, olive above. Austro- 

 Malayan and Polynesian regions. 



Key to the Species. 



I. Upper and under surfaces contrasted in colouring. 



a. Head bright scarlet. 



Breast scarlet. M. sanguinolenta. 



Breast dull iDrown. M. erytlirocephala. 



b. Head black. 



Breast white. M. nigra. 



Breast white, chest with a black crescent. M. pectoralis. 



II. Upper and under surfaces similar in colouring. 



Greyish-brown above, reddish-brown below. .M. obscura. 



Greyish upper and under surface. M. grisescens. 



The Sanguineous Honey-eater. 



Myzomela sanguineolenta. 



Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria. 



Male: Head and neck all round, middle line of back, rump and upper 

 tail-coverts brilliant scarlet; rest of upper surface, including wings and 

 tail, black; breast scarlet; sides of breast, flanks, abdomen yellowish -grey;. 



