PTILOTIS PLUM CLA (Gould). 



PLUMED PTILOTIS. 



nnHE white-gum forests near York, in Western Australia, are the principal resorts of the Plumed 

 J- Ptilotis, which may he there seen Hitting about the branches, or flying from tree to tree with 

 a peculiarly graceful motion. Its note, which is uttered continuously for a considerable time, is loud 

 and shrill, resembling the sound of a pea-whistle. 



The breeding season extends from October to -January. The eggs, two in number, are deposited 

 in a nest of dried grasses, suspended from the end of a horizontal twig. They are of a pale salmon- 

 colour, spotted with a darker tint. The length is ten lines and the breadth seven lines. 



The crown of the head and all the upper surface are bright olive-yellow, approaching to grey 



mi the back: lores, black : ear-coverts, throat, and under surface, pale yellowish-grey; behind the ear 



are two tufts, the upper of which is narrow and black, and the lower is of a beautiful yellow ; 

 primaries and tail feathers, brown, margined with olive-yellow; irides, dark brown; bill, black. 



Total length, If inches: bill. : , ! inch: wing, 3^ inches; tail, 2| inches; tarsi, | inch. 



Habitat: The district of York, in Western Australia. 



PTILOTIS C0CKERELL1 (Gould). 

 cockebell'S in we y-ea ter. 



GOT LI) named this Honey-eater after Mr. Cockerell, who rendered great services to science by his 

 indefatigable energy in collecting specimens in the northern portion of Australia. Among the new- 

 species discovered by him was the present one, which inhabits Cape York Peninsula. It is most 

 probably the extreme reluctance to making a new genus, where it can be avoided, that has caused 

 this bird to be put among the Pt Holes, although it possesses some characteristic features which distinguish 

 it from them. 



The tore part of the head is grey ; the upper surface is brown, each feather having a spot 

 of darker hue in the centre ; lesser wing-coverts, dark brown, with a spot of dull white at the tip 

 of each ; greater coverts and primaries, dark brown, with a broad margin of wax-yellow ; tail, brown, 

 the lateral feathers bordered with wax-yellow ; ear-coverts, silvery white, with a few of the anterior 

 feathers pale yellow, ami a posterior tuft of gamboge-yellow ; throat and breast clothed with narrow 

 lanceolate white feathers ; abdomen, greyish-white ; bill, black ; feet, greyish-brown. 



Total length, 5 inches ; bill, I inch ; wing, 3^ inches ; tail, 2f inches ; tarsi, f inch. 



Habitat : Cape York Peninsula. 



