/ 
STRONG-BILLED HONEY-EATER. 
among the gum trees along the ridges and in the valley of the Pass River, 
where alone on the island it is found. Not only does it search among the 
leafy tree-tops for its food, but it can be seen climbing about the loose shreds 
of hark, and prying into every crevice. It has a harsh cry.” Later: “ The 
King Island specimen, as a subinsular form, is noticeably the larger, particu¬ 
larly in the bill, which is '75 inch in length against '6 in the female Tasmanian 
bird; however, the sexes differ slightly in the measurements of the bill. In 
the young bird of this species the mantle is tinged with greenish-olive ; the 
cheeks, lunar mark behind the head from eye to eye, and the centre of abdomen 
are light yellow, and the bill-cere and legs are straw-yellow in colour, the 
black head, ear coverts, and throat remaining prominent. In the adult the 
cere is of a sea-green colour.” 
Mellor and White from Flinders Island noted : “ These birds were met 
with in the large timber on mountain sides, and were in small companies 
from three to six, flying from tree to tree. Unlike that of M. gularis, of the 
mainland, their call is feeble and not often repeated.’ 
As recorded in connection with the preceding species I at one time classed 
this species as a subspecies of gularis, whereas earlier workers had generically 
separated them. I believe the middle course to be the correct one and 
therefore reinstated it specifically in my 1913 “ List ” and later added 
Melithreptus validirostris kingi. 
“Differs from M. v. validirostris in having sides of the body darker, the 
chest greyer and the wing longer. King Island,” 
and now allow: 
Melithreptus validirostris validirostris (Gould* 
Tasmania. 
Melithreptus validirostris kingi Mathews. 
King Island). 
27 L 
