The Gakrulous Honey-eater. BIRDS. The Common Creeper. 317 
Family V.— CERTHIAD^. 
reddish-brown. A very similar but larger species, in 
which the naked space above the eye is pale green or 
yellow, inhabits Western Australia ; it is described by 
Mr. Gould under the name of the Swan River Honey- 
eater {M. cMoropsis.) 
THE BLACKHEADED HONEY-EATER {Melithreptus 
melanocephalus), which is also very similar to the pre- 
ceding, is destitute of the white crescent on the back of 
the head, and has a black mark on each side of the 
chest. The naked space above the eye is white, with 
a slight greenish tinge. This bird appears to be pecu- 
liar to Van Diemen’s Land, where it is very abundant 
and shows a decided preference for the Eucalypti. It 
feeds on insects, the pollen and honey of flowers, and 
on fruit. 
THE GARRULOUS HONEY-EATER {Myzantha gar- 
rula), an inhabitant of New South Wales, South 
Australia, and Van Diemen’s Land, is a much larger 
species than the preceding, measuring between ten and 
eleven inches in length. Its general colour is greyish, 
paler beneath ; the crown of the head and ear-coverts 
are black ; there is a naked yellow spot behind each 
eye, and the bill and feet are yellow. The wings are 
also tinged with yellow. It inhabits thinly-timbered 
districts, and is of so restless and inquisitive a disposi- 
tion that it becomes a perfect nuisance to the traveller 
through its haunts. “No sooner,” says Mr. Gould, 
“ does the hunter come within the precincts of its 
abode than the whole troop assemble 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 sometimes suspended 
by one leg, keeping up all the time one incessant bab- 
bling note. Were this only momentary, or for a short 
time, their droll attitudes and singular note would be 
rather amusing than otherwise ; but when they follow 
you through the entire forest, leaping and flying from 
branch to branch, and almost buffeting the dogs, they 
become very troublesome and annoying, awakening, as 
the}^ do, the suspicions of the other animals of which 
you are in pursuit.” The food of this species resembles 
that of the other Honey-eaters, but it appears to capture 
many insects on trees and on the ground. 
Other nearly-allied species inhabit different parts of 
Australia, such as the Sombre Honey-eater (Af. 
obscura) in Swan River, and the Luteous Honey- 
eater {M. lutea) in Northern Australia. 
THE BELL-BIRD {Myzantha mclanophrys) is an 
inhabitant of New' South Wales, where it dwells in 
the swampy bushes. Its habits resemble those of the 
Garrulous Honey-eater, and it is also a noisy bird. 
The appellation of “ Bell-bii-d,” given to it by the 
colonists, refers to a peculiar, faint, tinkling sound 
uttered by the bird, and which is compared to that 
of distant sheep-bells. This note is heard with delight 
by the traveller, as an indication that water is at hand. 
The Bell-bird is rather more than seven inches in 
length, and of a general yellowish-olive colour, with 
the lower surface paler than the upper, and with a 
blackish-brown tinge on the wings; the head has a 
black spot at the base of the lower mandible, a black 
ring round the eye, a yellow spot in front of the eye, 
and a red one behind it. 
This, which is the last family of the tenuirostral sec- 
tion of the passerine birds, includes a great variety of 
forms, and many of them make a very close approach 
in their characters to the more slender-billed forms 
of the next group ; but the tip of the upper mandible 
is almost always destitute of the notch or tooth, which 
is characteristic of the dentirostral birds. Tlie bill is 
generally elongated ; but, in this respect, the birds vary 
greatly, as also in the degree of curvation of the bill, 
which, however, is usually but small. The tip of the 
upper mandible is generally acute. The nostrils are 
situated at the base of the bill, where they lie in a small 
groove, and are covered by a membranous scale. The 
structure of the feet varies greatly in this family ; but 
the tarsi are generally short, and the toes long and 
armed with strong, curved claws. This is especially 
the case in the typieal species, which are organized for 
running upon the trunks and branches of trees in search 
of the insects which constitute their food. These are 
commonly known as creepers, and their movements and 
general aspect, when engaged in the search for food, 
are so like those of small mammals, that, at the first 
glance, they might easily be mistaken for some small 
species of mice. These birds possess the power of 
singing, which is exerted by some species in a very 
pleasing manner. They are distributed in all parts of 
the world. 
THE COMMON BROWN CREEPER {Certhia fami- 
liaris) — Plate 9, fig. 28 — which is one of the few 
species of this family found in Britain, may be taken as 
the type of the group. It is a small bird, measuring 
only a little more than five inches in length ; and from 
this and its general dull brown colour, coupled ivith its 
shy and retiring habits, although a common British bird 
it is comparatively rarely seen. This species occurs 
in all parts of Europe, but becomes rare in Russia and 
Northern Asia ; it is, however, a well-known bird in 
North America, where it is known as the Brown 
Creeper. Its favourite haunts are woods, plantations, 
and parks, where it may be seen running in every 
direction over the baik of trees, searching in the cre- 
vices for its insect prey, and after completing its exami- 
nation of one tree, flying off to repeat the process on 
the next. It is fond of passing rapidly in this way 
from tree to tree, and for this reason often haunts 
avenues. "While thus engaged, its activity in running 
about upon the rough bark is astonishing ; and if 
alarmed, it vanishes in an instant, passing round the 
trunk of the tree with the greatest ease, so as to place 
an effectual barrier between itself and the apprehended 
danger. In all these climbing operations the long, 
curved, and acute claws with which its toes are armed, 
are greatly assisted by the elongated and stiff feathers 
of the tail, of which the tips are more or less worn away. 
The nest of the Common Creeper is made in the 
hollow of a tree ; and for this purpose it usually selects 
a hole which has a very small external aperture, so as 
to prevent its enemies from getting access to its con- 
cealed treasures. Sometimes, however, it builds a 
regular nest attached to the inner surface of the 
