BROWN-HEADED HONEY-EATER, 
were plentiful in flocks of thirty or more birds. The branches and leaves 
of a tree or shrub are quickly searched for insects and with a noisy chatter 
they fly on to the next tree. I have seen the bird in the Bayswater and 
Ringwood districts, and whenever met with they were always first noticed 
by their noisy manner. They are not a very common bird and rarely more 
than a dozen are seen in a flock. This species remain with us the whole 
year.” 
Mr. Tom Tregellas’ note reads : “ This bird is not at all plentiful in the 
districts around Melbourne, being found only in isolated flocks of half a 
dozen or so at a time, and passing from tree to tree very quickly. It is found 
associated with Ptilotis penicillata and Melitlireplus lunatus, but does not 
stay for any length of time with them, being always the first to leave the tree 
in search of fresh food. lake the rest of our Honey-eaters its diet does not 
consist wholly of the nectar from the honey-bearing trees but is varied 
considerably by means of insect food. It is frequently seen flying into the 
air from the topmost bough of a tall sapling in quest of these insects, and its 
habit in this respect so clearly resembles that of P. penicillata that it is 
difficult to separate them on the wing. In the Ringwood district they are 
in fair numbers but at Frankston they are* seldom seen.” 
Mr. J. W. Mellor has written me : “ Tins is a fairly common species in 
South Australia, where I have seen it in a great variety of places and especially 
in the more open scrub and bush country where mallee abounds ; they often 
collect in large flocks of twentj^ or thirty and go about seeking their food in 
this way : as soon as one starts flying, the whole flock follow in pursuit and 
go in a somewhat jerky flight in an undulating fashion, alighting in some 
tree that grows a little higher than the surrounding scrub and then commence 
hopping and clinging about the twigs in a very animated way but never 
staying long in one place, but off again at a great rate. I have often followed 
them for long distances to make sure of their identity. I have seen them 
on Eyre Peninsula, South Australia, also on Yorlce’s Peninsula, in the Mount 
Lofty Ranges and in the Flinders Range. They are common on the Adelaide 
Plains, and I have noted them at the Reedbeds feeding on the honey in the 
eucalyptus flowers, which forms their chief food, but they also eat insect 
life. Their breeding time is from August to December. . . The Kangaroo 
Island form I have noted in various places on the island from Cape Borda 
hi the west to Hog Bay in the east; it lives in the higher trees and the habits 
are similar to those of other members of the genus. It goes in small flocks 
of half a dozen, uttering a plaintive little call as it flies from tree to tree in 
search of its nectar food, but it also feeds on insects. It breeds from August 
to December.” 
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