i6o 
THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA 
Notes. —Also called Scaly-throated Honey-eater and Island Honey- 
eater; it frequents the mangroves and coasval tributaries. A noisy species, 
congregating in large numbers. Food: insects and honey. 
Nest. —An open, cup-shaped structure, similar to that of the Varied 
Honey-eater; usually placed among the foliage of a mangrove tree. 
Eggs. —Two, pinkish-buff, passing into a warm reddish-buff on the 
larger end where they are indistinctly and finely spotted with purplish-red 
markings, with a few underlying spots of pale purplish-grey. Breeding- 
season: August to December (to March or April). 
10. Broad-billed Flycatcher Myiagra ruficollis Vieillot 
My-i-ag-ra —Gk, myiagra , flycatcher: ru-fi-colV-is —L., rnfus, red; L., 
collum, neck. 
Distribution. —Tropical northern Australia; also occurs in Timor, the 
Aru Islands, and New Guinea. 
Notes. —Inhabits the riiangroves, rarely found elsewhere; usually in 
pairs/searching for insect-life among the leaves. 
Nest.—A cup-shaped structure, composed of strips of bark, bound 
together with a thick coating of spiders’ webs, and decorated on the out¬ 
side with lichen. Usually built on a dead twig about 2 feet above high- 
water mark over a channel in the mangroves. 
Eggs. —Two, whitish, with a zone formed of brownish and lavender 
spots round the larger end. Breeding-season: January and February. 
11. Mangrove-robin Quoyornis leucurus Gould 
Quoy-orn-is- —Jean Rene Quoy (1790-1869), French scientist and ex¬ 
plorer, associated with Gaimard: leuc-ur-us —Gk, leucos, white: Gk, lira 
{oura), tail. 
Distribution .—Tropical northern Australia. 
Notes. Also called White-tailed Shrike-robin. Inhabits the man¬ 
groves only, usually in pairs; it secures its food among the leaves. Call- 
note, a short, low whistle, more frequently uttered in the breeding-season. 
Food: insects. 
Nest. A compact, open, cup-shaped structure, composed of strips of 
bark held together with cobwebs; lined with dry rootlets and grass, and 
decorated on the outside with long strips of bark. Usually placed in the 
fork of a mangrove tree, up to 14 feet from the water. 
Eggs. —Two, light green to dark olive-green, marked with small 
round spots of different shades of reddish-brown, with underlying mark¬ 
ings of lilac. Breeding-season: August and September to January and 
February. 
12. Brown Whistler Pachycephala simplex Gould 
Pack -y-ceph-al-a Gk, pachys, thick; Gk, cephale, head; sim-plex —L., 
simplex , plain. 
Distribution. —Northern Territory. 
