nONET-EATER9 AND NECTAR BIRDS. 
15 
strong, and the hinder toe much developed. The 
typical genera, observes Mr. Swainson, are small on 
middle-sized birds ; but some of those which are aber- 
rant grow much larger. In the genus Philedon, the 
head is nearly bare of feathers, and the neck is sur- 
rounded with a ruff, somewhat similar to that of the 
Vultures ; their size is nearly equal to that of a Jay ; 
the claws are strong and acute. 
The distinguishing peculiarity of these birds con- 
sists in the filamentous or suctorial development of 
the tongue, a form almost peculiar to the Honey- 
suckers of Australia and its islands. The tongue 
itself is not nearly so extensible as in the Trochilidcej 
nor are the bones of the os liyoides carried back upon 
the skull, as in the Woodpeckers and Humming-birds. 
Lewin, who has figured and described many of these 
birds in his work on the “ Birds of New Holland,”’ 
and had an opportunity of observing their habits in 
that country, says that they are sometimes to be seen 
in great numbers constantly flying from tree to tree 
(particularly the blue gum, a species of Eucalyptus), 
feeding among the blossoms, by extracting the honey 
with their long tongues from every flower which they 
pass. He likewise observed that some of the birds 
of this group also feed upon insects, which they pro- 
cure in a somewhat similar manner to the Woodpecker, 
by picking transverse holes in the bark, between 
which and the wood they insert their long tongue, 
drawing out the insects with great dexterity. 
With respect to the feet of the Meliphagidcd, Mr. 
Swainson remarks that they are generally termed 
scansorial, although they possess only one of the 
