BLACK-HEADED HONEY-EATER. 
Mr. Frank Littler has sent me : “ Is a fairly common species, associating 
in small flocks in some districts during certain seasons of the year.” In districts 
where “ small fruit growing is somewhat exhaustively carried on, this Honey- 
eater proves rather a pest, by forsaking its natural food and living almost 
entirely on a fruit diet, gooseberries being specially favoured. The loss of 
a little fruit would not be so much minded, if that attacked were eaten right 
up, but, as it is, the bird makes one peck at a berry and then goes to the next.” 
Mr. J. W. Mellor has written to me : “ This is the commoner of the two 
Melithrepti found in Tasmania, and I have noted it in various places from 
Hobart in the south to Launceston in the north and on the islands of Bass 
Straits. I found it in November, 1912, on Flinders Island, Bass Straits, and 
secured specimens for identification. It frequents both the high and lofty 
trees and also the low bushy shrubs, and eats both honey and insect life. 
It lias a sharp short call several times repeated, like other members of the 
genus.” 
Captain S. A. White’s experience seems different: “ I have never found 
the bird really plentiful at any time in any part of Tasmania. The habits 
seem to be like those of the other members of the genus, living mostly upon 
insects.” 
Of the King Island form A. G. Campbell wrote: “ Tliis is another bird 
seen only in the timber about Pass River, and is there even more plentiful 
than the preceding species {M. validirostris). It is a very energetic little 
Honey-eater, and rather pugnacious, driving away even the larger Yellow- 
throated Honev-eater from its domains. On one occasion two of these 
Honey-eaters fell at my feet struggling in one another’s claws, and they 
continued the dispute on the ground for some seconds. They, too, pry about 
actively on the eucalyptus bark in search of food. The fully-fledged young 
are brown on the back, quite yellow on the under-surface, and the complete 
brilliant black hood characteristic of the adult is represented only by dull 
black on the face and elfin. . . The King Island bird, again, is larger than 
the Tasmanian. The back and head of the young bird are brownish. Onty 
about the throat and cheeks is there any appearance of the black, which in 
the adult envelops the head as a hood ; bill brownish, cere yellow, becoming 
on maturity fight green above and deep blue below.” 
A complete account of this species has been published by A. E. Brent 
in the Emu, Vol. V., p. 12, 1905, to which I refer all interested and from which 
I quote: “ This species is one of the smallest of the Honey-eaters, and is 
unknown on the Australian mainland, though very common in Tasmania, 
more especially in the mountain ranges of the south. It is partly insectivo¬ 
rous, and in winter is to be seen feeding on small insects (caterpillars, etc.). 
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