74 
POPULAR HISTOEY OF BIEDS. 
has succeeded in driving them away. Another gay species, 
robed in yellow and black, the Warty-faced Honey-eater 
[Zantliomyza phrygia), is also very pugnacious, limiting its 
attacks principally to smaller species of the same family 
which venture to come near its haunts. Mr. Gould speaks 
of two pairs which had possessed themselves of a high tree, 
left standing in Adelaide, when he was there, and which 
beat off every bird that offered to come near. 
Another bird of this family, the Myzantlia garrula, abun- 
dant in Van Diemen^s Land, where it is called the Miner,^^ 
proves a great pest to the sportsmen from the warnings it 
gives to the objects for which he is searching, to get out of the 
way. Mr. Gould says that no sooner does the hunter come 
within the precincts of its abode, than the whole troop as- 
semble round him and perform the most grotesque actions, 
spreading out their wings and tail, hanging from the 
branches in every possible variety of position, and some- 
times suspended by one leg, keeping up all the time one 
incessant babbling note. Were this only momentary or for 
a short time, their droll attitude and singular note would be 
rather amusing than otherwise, but w4ien they follow you 
through the entire forest, leaping and flying from branch 
to branch, and almost buffeting the dogs, they become very 
