ZANTHOMYZA PHRYGIA, Swains. 
Warty-faced Honey-eater. 
Merops Phrygius, Lath. Ind. Orn. Supp., p. xxxiv.—Shaw, Zool. of New Holl., p. 13. pl. 4.—Vieill. 2nde édit. du 
Nouv. d’Hist. Nat., tom, xxvil. p. 428- 
Philedon. Tesmm. Men., 2nde édit., tom. i. p. lexxvil. 
Warty-faced Honey-eater, Lewin, Birds of New Holl, pL 14. 
Black and Yellow Bee-eater, Lath. Gen. Syn. Supp., vol. ii. p. 154. 
Black and Yellow Honey-eater, Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. iv. p. 165. 
Embroidered Bee-cater, Shaw. Gen. Zool., vol, vill, p. 167. pl. 20. 
Philemon Phrygius, Vieill. Eucy. Méth., Part IL, p. 617. 
Le Merle écaillé, Le Vaill. Ois. d’Afr., tom. ii. pl 116. 
Meliphaga Phrygia, Lewin, Birds of New Holl., p. 13. pl. 4.—G. R. Gray, Gen. of Birds, 2nd Rdit., p. 20. 
Anthochera Phrygia, Vig. and Horsf. m Linn, Trans., vol, xv, p. 322. 
Zanthomiza Phrygia, Swains, Class. of Birds, vol. ii. p. 326. 
Mock Regent Bird, Colonists of New South Wales. 
Tuts is uot only one of the handsomest of the Honey-eaters, but is also one of the most beautiful birds in- 
habiting Australia, the strongly contrasted tints of its black and yellow plumage rendering it a most con- 
spicuous and pleasing object, particularly during flight. Tt is a stationary species, and enjoys a range 
extending from South Australia to New South Wales; I also met with it in the interior nearly as far north) 
as the Jatitude of Moreton Bay. Although it 1s yery cenerally distributed, its presence appears to be 
dependent upon the state of the Evcalypti, upon whose blossoms it mainly depends for subsistence ; it is 
consequently only to be found in apy particular locality during the season that those trees are in full bloom. 
It generally resorts to the loftiest and most fully-flowered tree, where it frequently reigns supreme, buffeting 
and drivig every other bird away from its immediate neighbourhood ; it. is, in fact, the most pagnacious 
bird T ever saw, evincing particular hostility to the smaller Meliphagide, aud even to others of its own 
species that may venture to approach the trees upon which two or three have taken their station. While 
at Adelaide, in South Australia, [ observed two pairs that had possessed themselves of one of the high trees 
that had been left standing in the middle of the city, which tree during the whole period of my stay they 
kept sole possession of, sullying forth and heating off every bird that came near, I met with it in great 
abundance among the brashes of New South Wales, and also found it breeding in the low apple-tree flats of 
the Upper Hunter. I have occasionally seen flocks of from fifty to a hundred in number, passing from tree 
to tree as if engaged in a partial migration from one part of the country to another, probably in search of a 
more abundant supply of food. 
[ts note is a peculiar loud whistle, not entirely devoid of harmony. 
The nest, which is usually constructed on the overhanging branch of a Eucalyptus, is round, cup-shaped, 
about five inches im diameter, composed of fine grasses, and lined with a little wool and hair. The eggs 
are two in number, of a deep yellowish buff, marked all oyer with indistinet spots and irregular blotches of 
chestnut-red and dull purplish grey, particularly at the larger end, where they frequently form a zone ; they 
are eleven lines long by eight lines and a half broad. 
The stomachs and intestines of those specimens that I killed and dissected among the brushes of the 
Hunter were entirely filled with liquid honey only ; insects, however, doubtless form a considerable portion 
of their diet. 
The sexes are nearly alike in colouring, but the female is much smaller than the male, and the young are 
destitute of the warty ‘exerescences on the face, that part heing partially clothed with feathers. 
Head, neck, upper part of the back, chin and chest black; scapularies black, broadly mary Med with pale 
hack black, margined with yellowish white; upper tail-coverts like the scapularies ; 
yellow ; lower part of the Cag . 
s wing yellow; primaries black, with an oblong 
wings black, the coverts margined with yellow ; spuriou 
stripe of yellow occupying the margin of the outer and. a 
black ; secondaries black, broadly margined on the outer we my 
arrow-shaped mark of yellowish white pear the extremity of each feather 5 two centre tail-feathers black, 
the remainder black at the base, and yellow for the remainder of their length, 
asing as the feathers recede from the two central ones; irides 
portion of the inner web next the quill, which ts 
bh with yellow; under surface black, with an 
slightly tipped with yellow ; 
the black decreasing and the yellow incre 
reddish brown ; bill black ; feet blackish brown 5 4 
The figures represent two males, a female, and the nest of the natural size. 
warty excrescences covering the face dirty yellowish white. 
