HONEY-EATER. 163 



sort of down ; the nape, at the back part, elongated with a kind of 

 bristly tuft ; hind part of the neck and back brown, the first mottled 

 with a paler colour ; under parts white, marked on the chin and 

 throat with dusky, sagittal streaks ; quills and tail dark brown ; legs 

 dusky blue. 



Inhabits New-Holland ; found about Port Jackson, in January; 

 the hindhead projecting, and being of a black, downy texture, gives 

 some resemblance to a cowl or hood, and has occasioned it, as well 

 as the last, to be called the Frier ; by the natives it is named Wergan. 



8. - HOODED HONEY-EATER. 



Merops cucullatus, Ind. Orn. Sup. xxxiii. 



Philedou, Tern. Man. Ed. ii. Anal. p. lxxxvii. 



Hooded Bee-Eater, Gen. Syn. Sup. ii. 152. Shaw's Zool. viii. 170. 



LENGTH nine or ten inches. Bill yellow, curved, very stout ; 

 tongue twice the length of the bill, and fringed at the tip ; front of 

 the head whitish ; across the crown black, passing through the eyes, 

 on each side, to the throat ; rest of the head whitish grey and dusky, 

 in fine transverse streaks ; belly dirty white, crossed with clouded, 

 dusky lines; upper parts of the body pale lead-colour brown ; lower 

 belly, and vent white ; the six outer quills brownish, the first very short ; 

 six or seven of the middle ones greenish yellow on the outer webs, 

 about the middle ; tips greenish yellow ; tail rounded, pale greenish 

 lead-colour, with a dirty white tip ; legs yellow brown ; toes united 

 to the first joint. 



Inhabits New-Holland, where it is very common, and a chattering, 

 noisy species, always at war with other birds. — In the collection of 

 General Davies. 



Y 2 



