THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
Hill later wrote : “ These birds inhabit the mangroves along the banks of 
the lower McArthur River, Northern Territory.” 
Macgillivray wrote : “ Noted at Cape York very few in 1910-11, but became 
numerous afterwards. They also frequent the mangroves. Stomach contents, 
honey and small insects.” . . . “ The beautiful little Redheaded Honey-eater 
frequents the mangroves and the scrub growing on the islands near the coast. 
We first met with it in the mangroves 50 miles south of Lloyds’ Bay. On 
Haggerstone Island numbers were feeding on some flowering trees. On the 
Archer River Mr. McLennan found them to be plentiful in the mangroves. 
He found one building in a tea-tree near the camp on 3rd August; by the 7th 
the nest was completed and contained one egg.” 
H. L. White recorded McLennan’s notes on his King River trip. “ Little 
Archer River, 6/7/15. Noted in mangroves. Bickerton Island, 23/8/15; 
Goyder River, 7/9/15 ; and Liverpool River, 19/9/15. A few noted in mangroves. 
King River. Numerous in mangroves and in the flowering trees along river. 
Stomach, small beetles and other insects.” 
This bird had been little studied when I prepared my “Reference List” 
in 1912, and I found that it was easily separable into subspecies, and I named 
Myzomela erythrocephala erythrocephala Gould. 
Northern Territory. 
Myzomela erythrocephala Icempi Mathews. 
“ Differs from M. e. erythrocephala in its paler coloration, though darker than 
M. e. derbyi, and in its shorter bill. Cape York.” 
North Queensland. 
Myzomela erythrocephala derbyi Mathews. 
“ Differs from M. e. erythrocephala in its paler coloration above and below, and 
in that the pectoral band is only indistinctly indicated. Derby, North-west 
Australia.” 
North-west Australia. 
A little later I added 
Myzomela erythrocephala melvillensis Mathews. 
“ Differs from M. e. erythrocephala in its much darker back and wings.” 
Melville Island, Northern Territory. 
I still admitted these in my 1913 “ List.” 
Campbell has recently written from the King River collection: “ Three 
$ d» one $. Fine skins. Gilbert found tliis beautiful little creature rare at 
Port Essington. Head deep spectrum-red, or between that colour and carmine, 
like the back of Malurus cruentatus. Can find no difference in North-west 
examples ( derbyi Mathews). Moreover, North-west Australia is the actual 
type locality (see Gould, P.Z.S., 1839, p. 144); yet Gould, in his ‘Handbook’ 
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