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THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA 
PLATE XII 
SOME HONEY-EATERS OF THE OPEN FOREST 
1. Tawny-breasted Honey-eater Xonthotis flavhenter Lesson 
Xanth-ot'-is —Gk, xanthos, yellow; Gk, otos, genitive of ous, ear: flav-i- 
veri-ter —L., flaviis, yellow; L., 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 the 
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 AcantJiagenys rufogularis Gould 
Ac-antli-ci-gen-ys —Gk, acantlia, spine; Gk, genys, cheek: ru-fo-gu-ta-ris 
—L., rufous, red; L., giilaris, 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 
Piec-to-rhyrich -a—Gk, plectos , straight; Gk, rhynchos ( rhugchos ), beak: 
lan-ce-o-la - ta —L., lanceolatus, lance-shaped. 
Distribution .—Eastern Australia, from mid-Queensland to South 
Australia. 
