NEW-HOLLAND HONEYEATER 349 
colour with a ring of dark brown spots. At Airey's 
Inlet, where the bird is very common, I once found 
a nest containing two fresh eggs on March 31st, 
and have heard of young birds in May. 
MINAH OR GARRULOUS HONEYEATER 
Myzantha melanocephala whitei 
Gould spells this bird's name " Miner," and that is 
in consequence the spelling adopted by those who 
accept Gould as authoritative on all questions of 
bird nomenclature. I cannot help thinking, how- 
ever, that the name was given to the bird by early 
Tasmanian settlers who had been in India and who 
noticed a sort of resemblance (perhaps in its yellow 
bill) to the Myna or Minah of that country. That 
was the way names were given in those days. It 
must be remembered that it is easier and more natural 
for a settler to christen a strange animal or bird 
straight off by the name of some other one which it 
appears to be like, than to wait and name it from 
some peculiarity which later on it may be found to 
have. Witness the numbers of our birds called 
Magpie, Wren, Thrush, Finch, Robin, etc., none of 
which belong even to the same genera as the English 
species from which they were named. Moreover, 
there is no conceivable reason why any one should 
have called the bird Miner " — it does not mine any 
more than it toils or spins. I think Gould got the 
name right but the spelling wrong. 
