BIRDS OF THE BLOSSOMS AND OUTER FOLIAGE 
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tree and small shrubs growing beneath eucalypts and other forest trees. 
Food: insects and nectar. 
Nest. — A rather frail, cup-shaped structure, composed of dried twigs 
and vine tendrils, bound together with cobwebs. Placed in a small tree, at 
heights varying between 18 inches and 3 feet from the ground. 
Eggs . — Usually two, pale salmon-pink, mottled with cloudy markings 
of dull reddish-brown at the larger end, where a well-defined zone is 
formed. Breeding-season: January to May. 
4. Graceful Honey-eater Meliphaga gracilis Gould 
gra-ci-lis —L., gracilis, graceful. 
Distribution. —Northern Queensland, from Cape York to Cairns. 
Notes. —Also called Little Yellow-spotted Honey-eater. In flocks, 
frequenting forest country adjacent to scrubs. Food: insects, nectar, 
native fruits, and berries. 
Nest. —A cup-shaped structure, composed of shreds of bark, fre¬ 
quently covered with green moss; lined with wild cotton and a silky 
fibre collected from plants. Suspended from a leafy branch of a low 
tree, up to 14 feet from the ground. 
Eggs. —Usually two, salmon-pink, marked, almost entirely at the 
larger end, with rich chestnut and purplish-grey spots. The most beautiful 
of honey-eater eggs. Breeding-season: October to January. 
5. Macleay Honey-eater Meliphaga macleayana Ramsay 
macleayana— Sir William Macleay (1820-1891), scientist, Sydney, 
Australia. 
Distribution. —Northern Queensland (Cairns district). 
Notes. —Also called Yellow-streaked Honey-eater. Not plentiful; 
it frequents the brushes and scrubs; its call-note is very similar to that 
of the Yellow-faced Honey-eater. Food : insects, native fruits, and berries. 
Nest. —A deep, cup-shaped structure, chiefly composed of fibre, 
leaves, and other material; lined with fibre and rootlets; placed in a bush. 
Eggs. —Usually two, pale fleshy-buff, well spotted and blotched, par¬ 
ticularly at the larger end, with reddish-chestnut, intermingled with lilac 
and dull slate markings. Breeding-season: October to December. 
6. White-lined Honey-eater Meliphaga albilineata H. L. White 
al-bi-lin-e-a-ta —L., albus, white; L., lineatus, lined. 
Distribution .—King River (Northern Territory). 
Notes. —Also called White-striped Honey-eater. This species appears 
to be confined exclusively to the rocky gorges of the sandstone hills, 
inhabiting the deepest and narrowest ravines. Its call-note, which is 
uttered occasionally, is a loud, clear whistle, ‘‘Tu-u-u-heer, tu-u-u-in. 
Food: insects, nectar, native fruits, and berries. 
Nest. —Not described. 
Eggs. —Not described. 
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