160 HONEY-EATER. 



All the above inhabit New-Holland, seen especially on the sea 

 shores, and are pretty numerous ; they chatter much, and are bold 

 to a great degree, for when other birds, even larger and stronger 

 than themselves, approach, they drive them away. The chief food 

 said to be insects, but they are likewise fond of sucking of honey 

 from the different kinds of Banksia. It has been known that two 

 or three of them will drive off a flock of blue-bellied Parrots, as they 

 are always at war with birds of this Genus. They are known to the 

 natives under the name of Goo-gwar-ruck, which the kind of note, 

 they are incessantly making, much resembles. 



4— GOLDEN-WINGED HONEY-EATER. 



Merops chiysoptevus, hid. Orn. Sup. xxxiii. 



Golden-winged Bee-Eater, Gen. Syn. Sup. ii. 153. Shaw's Zool. viii. 180. 



LENGTH about twelve inches, Bill black ; tongue bristly at 

 the end; general colour of the plumage brown, down the shafts very 

 pale ; greater quills darker than the rest, the middle part of four or 

 live of the outer ones, for two-thirds, golden orange, the ends white ; 

 tail greatly cuneiform, brown, consisting of twelve feathers ; the 

 outer one inch and a half shorter than the two middle, except which, 

 all the rest are tipped with white ; legs black. 



Inhabits New-Holland, and feeds not only on flies, and other 

 insects, but also on honey, which it extracts from the various kinds 

 of Banksia, &c. in the manner of the Wattled Species. The natives 

 of New South Wales call it likewise, Goo-gwar-ruck ; the English, 

 Queerick, both from the note. In a drawing at Mr. Francillon's, it 

 was named Wadde-ergal. There seems a similarity of manners between 

 this and the Wattled Species, and both are called by the same name, 

 but the latter has no yellow on the quills, nor has the present one any 

 wattle ; it cannot therefore be supposed that they are allied to each 

 other. 



