PLATE XI1 
SOME HONEY-EATERS OF THE OPEN FOREST 
1. Tawny-breasted Honey-eater Xanthotis flaviventcr Lesson 
Xanth-dt'-is— Gk, xanthos, yellow; Gk, otos, genitive of ous , ear: fiav-i- 
ven'-ter—L. t flavus, yellow; L. f venter, belly. 
distribution. Northern Queensland, from Cape York to the 
Watson River. 
notes. Also called Streaked Honey-eater and Streak-naped Honey- 
eater. Plentiful, frequenting alike scrub, open forest, and mangroves. 
It is a silent bird. Food: chiefly insects and nectar, procured among 
Lhe blossoms and foliage. 
nest. A cup-shaped structure, composed of strips of bark and fibre; 
lined with fibre and a few fine rootlets. Usually suspended from a hori¬ 
zontal forked branch of a tree, up to 50 feet from the ground. 
eggs. Two, pinkish-white, marked all over with small spots of bright 
brownish-red, which are thicker towards the larger end, where small 
splashes of pale purple occur. Breeding-season: probably November 
to January or February. 
2. Spiny-cheeked Honey-eater Acanthagenys rufogularis Gould 
Ac-anth'-a-geti-ys— Gk, acantlia, spine; Gk, genys, cheek: ru'-fo-gu-la'-ris 
—L., rufus, red; L., gularis, throated. 
distribution. Interior of Australia generally. 
notes. Fairly common in the scrub-lands, this species is similar in 
habits to the Little Wattle-bird. It has a pleasant song, a series of 
delightful gurgling notes, which frequently end abruptly. Food: 
insects and nectar. 
nest. A cup-shaped structure, composed of grasses and rootlets, well 
matted together with cobwebs and cocoons; lined with hair, fur, wool, 
or other soft materials. Usually suspended from a forked branch of a 
tree or a clump of mistletoe, at heights up to 50 feet from the ground. 
eggs. Two or three, very pale olive-green, spotted, chiefly at the 
larger end, with dark to light umber and purplish-grey markings. 
Breeding-season: August to the end of November. 
3. Striped Honey-eater Plectorhyncha lanceolata Gould 
Plec-to-rhynch'-a—Gk, plectos, straight; Gk, rhynchos (rliugchos), beak: 
lan-ce-o-la'-ta— L., lanceolatus, lance-shaped. 
distribution. Eastern Australia, from mid-Queensland to South 
Australia. 
