io 6 
THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA 
18. Black-chinned Honey-eater Melithreptus gularis Gould 
gu-la-ris — L., gularis, throated. 
Distribution .—Eastern and southern Australia. 
A Totes. —Similar in habits to the White-naped Honey-eater, though 
more vigorous than that species. 
Nest. —A cup-shaped structure, composed of strips of bark and other 
materials, bound together with cobwebs; lined with hair and fur. Usually 
suspended from the foliage of a drooping branch of a tree, frequently a 
eucalvpt, at a considerable height from the ground. 
Eggs .—Two or three, pale salmon-pink, well spotted and speckled 
with rich reddish-brown and purplish-grey markings, becoming confluent 
towards the larger end. Breeding-season: July to December. 
19. Golden-backed Honey-eater Melithreptus laetior Gould 
lae'-ti-or —L., laetior, more pleasing. 
Distribution. —Mid-western, central, and northern Australia. 
Notes. — Similar in habits to the Black-chinned Honey-eater. 
Nest. —Cup-shaped, built in the drooping leafy twigs of a bauhinia 
tree, about 10 feet from the ground (the only record). 
Eggs. — Probably two, pale fleshy-buff, which gradually passes into a 
warm reddish-buff on the larger end, where there are spots and blotches 
of a slightly darker hue, intermingled with underlying markings of faint 
purplish-buff. (Description of one egg taken in February.) 
20. Strong-billed Honey-eater Melithreptus validirostris Gould 
val-i-di-ros -tris — L., validus, strong; L., rostrum , bill. 
Distribution .—Tasmania, King Island, and the Flinders Group only. 
Notes . Usually in flocks, frequenting the leaves and blossoms of 
trees, chiefly^ eucalypts, in search of insects and nectar. It also has the 
habit of moving up and down the trunks of trees searching in the crevices 
of the bark for insect-life. 
Nest. A deep, cup-shaped structure, composed of bark, grasses, and 
wool, lined with fine grasses. Generally suspended from the drooping 
branches of a tree at a considerable height from the ground. 
Eggs- Usually three, pale pinkish-white, spotted and speckled with 
dark reddish-brown and purplish-grey markings, chieflv confined to the 
larger end. Breeding-season: July to'December. 
21. Brown-headed Honey-eater Melithreptus brevirostris Vigors and 
Horsfield 
brev-i-ros-tris — L., brevis, short; L., rostrum, bill. 
a Distribution . Southern Queensland to Victoria to south-western 
Australia, and King Island (Bass Strait). 
Notes. Usually m small flocks, frequenting, for the most part, the 
ou er o lage and blossoms of gum-trees, searching for insects and nec¬ 
tar. it has a high-pitched call-note, repeated quickly. 
