WHITE-EARED HONEY-EATER. 
round in various localities. It however eats numbers of insects that come 
about such thickly clothed districts.” 
Captain S. A. White’s notes read: “ This bird has a very wide range, 
for the writer has met with it from Queensland to West Australia as well as 
on many of the islands. It is plentiful on Kangaroo Island, and its frog-like 
croaking voice is to be heard on all sides, especially in the vicinity of the 
central swamps. It is a strange bird, for it is to be met -with in a very varied 
environment, as one might take it to be a lover of swampy damp localities, 
yet it seems quite at home in the dry mallee country; then again it is to be 
found in heavily timbered country and yet the open heath country contains 
them. Then food consists of insects, berries and honey.” 
A. G. Campbell, recording this species from Kangaroo Island, wrote: 
“ This was found only in the thick scrub near the river, from which it loved 
to ascend the gum-tree butts in search of food. It has a bill larger by ‘13 in. 
than the mainland bird, and is of a slightly darker tone.” 
G. F. Hill wrote of the Ararat District, Victoria: “ Numerous at the 
foot of the mountains, but scarce in most other localities. They arrive in 
the early spring and leave again when the nesting season is over.” 
Maddison has written: “I found the nest of a pair of White-eared 
Honey-eaters ( Ptilotis leucotis) with a single young one perched above it 
apparently about 12 days out of the egg. The nestling’s general colour was 
greyish-green; fourth primary in wings white ; greyish-white blotch on side 
of head: tail verv short.” 
7 V 
Wilson wrote: “I obtained two skins at Kow Plains which I think 
must be referable to this Western Australian species. It will, however, be 
necessary to get more skins to ascertain if the differences are constant. 
Three clutches of eggs were obtained which are considerably smaUer than 
those met with in Southern Victoria. Both Mr. Howe and myself also 
noticed that the call notes of this bird were not so loud as those we were 
accustomed to hear of P. leucotis .” 
Chandler, however, observed: “ A common bird in the district (Kow 
Plains). I mistook it for P. leucotis, but Mr. A. J. Campbell places it as the 
Western form. I could trace no difference in the notes of this bird, and the 
nest is similar in every respect to that of P. leucotis. The eggs appear to 
he smaller. They are pugnacious birds, and savagely drive any intruding 
bird from the vicinity- of the nest.” 
When Milligan described the Western “ species ” he ■wrote : At first 
sight I pronounced it, but with reservation, to be Ptilotis leucotis, although 
it appeared to be much smaHer and not so brightly coloured as the Eastern 
form. Subsequent comparison showed distinct modifications in structure 
493 
