FRIAR-BIRD. 
Nest. A very deep, open, cup-shaped structure, composed of strips of bark and grasses, 
well matted together with spiders’ webs and silky cocooirs, and often sheeps’ wool 
is used over the outside of the nest. A veiy film and compact structure, and 
often very beautiful. When built near a homestead, a great quantity of twine, 
cotton-thread, portions of old rope and bagging, etc., are often used in the 
construction of the nest, and in securely fastening it to the forked limb in which 
it is built. Lined inside with a good layer of dried grasses, wliich are very neatly 
2 )laced into position. Suspended by the rim in the fork of a limb, and near the 
extremity, and often near or hanging over water. Altitude of nest varies from 16 
to 50 feet up from the ground, and is usually placed in a tree. Dimensions 
over all, 6 to nearly 7 inches across by 4 to 5^ inches in depth. The egg cavity 
measmes 4 to 4^ inches across by 2^ to inches deep. 
Breeding-morUlis. August to December, and sometimes as late as January. 
Under the name Knob-fronted Bee-eater this extraordinary-looking bird 
was first figmed in White's Journal without a Latm name, which was given 
by Latham in his Index Ornithologicus simidtaneously published. In his 
Second Supplement to his General Synopsis of Birds Latham gave an English 
translation of his Latin account and added “ T his was first brought into 
England by Su* Joseph Banks.” 
At the same time from the I..ambert di'awings he added as a new species 
the Cowled B(ee) E(ater), writing : “ This is found about Port Jackson, in 
New Holland in January. The hind-head projecting, and being of a black 
downy texture, giving the resemblance of a cowl or hood, has occasioned it to 
be called a Friar. The natives call it Wergan." 
This note is given in coimection ^vith Wathng’s drawing No. 88, where 
it reads: “ Native name Wergan, or a Friar. January. Two-tliirds the 
natural size ; it is supposed to be a young bu'd. It varies from the Knob- 
fronted (Bee-eater) in sex or size.” 
When Sharpe discussed the Wathng drawings {Hist. Coll. Nat. Hist. Brit. 
Mus., Vol. II., p. 124, 1906), he reproduced this note without comment, 
identifying the No. 88 as “Cowled Bee-eater, juv.,” but in connection with 
No. 87 he wrote : 
“ Cowled Bee-eater, Lath : Gen. Syn., Suppl. II., p. 155. 
Mcrops moncLchus Lath. : Ind. Om. Suppl., p. xxxiv. 
Philemon corniculatus Lath. : Gadow, Cat. B., IX., p. 271.” 
In his list of Wathng’s plates, Latham identifies this figure (87) as the 
Knob-fronted Bee-eater { = Merops corniculatus Lath., Ind. Om., I., p. 276), 
but in his note on the plate, he seems to think that the two birds are the 
same, and this view is no doubt correct. 
Wathng’s note is as follows : “ About one-third of the natural size. T his 
bird is generally found perching upon the topmost boughs of the taU trees. 
Its food is insects and honey, which it extracts from plants and floweiing shrubs. 
Ill 
