l8 
The Queensland Naturalist 
December, 1926 
“ORANGE” BIRDS. 
In a recent number of the “Emu” on “Bird-; 
of the Cardwell district,” Mr. Barnard mentions that 
the Ylacleay honey-eater (Meliphaga Macleayana) is 
said to be fond of oranges, piercing the rind and suck- 
ing the juice of the fruit. The Lewin honey-eater (M. 
lewini) is called the “orange” bird by the folk of Tam- 
bourine Mountain because of the same habit. These 
birds (Lewins) have been very busy among the orange 
trees on Highgate Hill (Brisbane), doing their work so 
neatly and thoroughly that you don’t know the orange 
skin is hanging empty until you pick it. 
Lewin honey-eaters, together with the dainty spine- 
bill. are very plentiful in the suburbs of Brisbane this 
winter. 
L. M. MAYO. 
21 / 7 / ’ 26 . 
0 
NOTES ON BIRDS OBSERVED ON EXCURSION 
TO UPPER BROOKFIELD. 
Bird life in mid-winter is not plentiful, but the bird 
observers (Mrs. AY. M. Mayo and Messrs. Barker, 
Berney and O’Neil Brennan) had an excellent day, re- 
cording forty odd species. With the birds usually 
found among the hills round Brisbane in winter were: 
bee-eaters (Merops ornatus) and the sacred kingfisher 
(Halcyon sanctus). Those two species belong to the 
migratory birds, and should not be in Queensland at 
mid-winter. Perhaps the mild winter is responsible. 
Whip birds, thrush, the white-browed scrub wren, honev- 
eaters, (the Lewin, the spine-bill, the white-naped and 
the yellow cheeked) sang in the lantana scrub around 
the farms as though they anticipated spring. Along the 
creek red-browed finches and wrens fraternised with 
the brown honey-eaters and little grass bird. Rosella 
parrots— -crimson and pale-headed — fed among the road- 
side thistles, and the furrows of the ploughed land. The 
yellow robins and white shafted fantail were very plen- 
tiful : and during the day both wedge-tailed and white- 
breasted sea eagles were soaring overhead. Tree tits 
twittered among the leaves of the big gum trees— dart- 
ing out from the leaves and hovering for a moment or 
two inspecting their possibilities in the food line. 
