MYZANTHA GARR UL A, Vig. and Horsf. 
Garrulous Honey-eater. 
Merops garrulus, Lath. Ind. Orn., Supp. p. xxiv. 
Chatlering Ber-eater, Lath. Gen, Syn., Supp., vol. ii. p, 154.—Shaw, Gen, Zool., vol. viii. p. 171. 
Chattering Honey-eater, Lath, Gen. Hist., vol. iy, p. 164. 
Philemon garrulus, Vieill, Qud edit. du Nony. Dict, d’Hist. Nat., tom. xxvii. p.427.—Ib, Ency. Méth. Orn., Part ii. 
p. 616. 
Myzantha garrula, Vig, and Horst. m Lim. Trans., vol. xy. p. 319. 
Cohayyin, Aborigines of New Sonth Wales. 
Miner, Colonists of Van Diemen’s Land, 
Van Diemen’s Land, and all parts of the colonies of New South Wales aud South Australia, are alike 
inhabited by this well-known bird. It has never yet been observed in northern or western Australia, its 
place being supplied in those parts of the country by other nearly allied species. On comparing examples 
from Van Diemen’s Land with others killed on the continent of Australia, a difference is found to exist in 
their relative admeasurements, the Van Diemen’s Land birds being more robust and larger in every 
respect; still as not the slightest difference is observable in the markings of their plumage, I consider then 
to be merely local varieties and not distinct species. 
The natural habits of this bird lead it to frequent the thinly timbered forests of Lucalypé: clothing the 
plains and low hills, rather than the dense brushes, and so local is it and so exclusively does it confine 
itself to such situations that the edge of a river frequently forms the boundary of its habitat; for instance, it 
is very abundant on the northern side of the Derwent near Hobart Town, yet never did 1 meet with it on 
the opposite shore darmg the whole of my stay in Van Diemen’s Land excepting many miles up the river, 
where the trees and land on both sides appear equally suitable to its habits. 
The Garrulous Honey-cater is not truly gregarious, but moves about in small flocks of from four to ten in 
number. In disposition it is unlike any other bird Lever met with, for if its haunts be mm the least intruded 
upon it becomes the most restless and inquisitive creature possible, and withal so bold and noisy that it 1s 
regarded as a troublesome nuisance rather than an object of interest; no sooner does the hunter come 
within the precincts of its abode than the whole troop assemble round him and perform the most grotesque 
actions, spreading out their wings and tail, hanging from the branches in every possible variety of position, 
and sometimes suspended by one leg, keeping up all the time one incessant babbling note: were thts only 
momentary or for a short time, their droll attitudes and singular note would be rather amusing than 
otherwise ; but when they follow you through the entire forest, leaping and flying from branch to branch, and 
almost buffeting the dogs, they become very troublesome and annoying, awakening as they do the suspicions 
of the other animals of which you are tn pursuit. 
The food of this bird is of a mixed character, for although it loves to dwell among the branches of the 
flowering Bucalypti, Tro the pollen of the flowers of which it obtains much genial food, it preys with 
avidity Wpon insects, both those resorting to the flowers of the gum-trees and those—coleoptera, ko 
peculiar to the ground : it is consequently often to be seen descending in pursuit of insects, particularly 
under the large trees on the grassy open plains. The stomach 1s of the same diminutive size as the rest of 
tlie Honev-eaters; but, as might be supposed from the varied character of the food, 1s mach more muscular. 
about the size of that of the European Thrush, very neatly built of fine twigs 
and coarse grass, and lined either with wool and hair, of fine soft hair-like strips of hark, frequently mixed 
with feathers : it is usually placed among the small upright branches-of a moderately sizedtree, The egy, 
which are thirteen lines long by nine and a half lines broad, are of a bluish white, marked all over with 
reddish brown, without any indication of the zone 
The nest ts cup-shaped and 
at the larver end so frequently observable in the eggs of 
other species. 
The sexes offer no other external difference th 
Face grey ; crown of the head dull black ; ear-coy ' nee 
the angle of the bill glossy black ; all the upper surface light greyish brawn : the feathers at the back o 
t = - = = J . 
the neck tipped with silvery grey 5 primaries dark brown margined externally ne Brey aaa ae 
brown on their inner webs, the outer webs grey at the tip, and wax-yellow at the base 5 tail greyish 4 
with dark brown shafts, and all but the two centre feathers largely tipped with brownish ee chin FY4 
a patch of dark brown down the centre; under surface grey; the feathers of the breast \ i : gd 
k of brown near the tip of each ; irides dark hazel; naked space beneath the eye, 01 
an that the female is a trifle smaller than her mate. 
erts and a crescent-shaped mark inclining upwards to 
crescent-shaped mar 
and feet yellow. ‘ 
The Plate represents the two sexes of the natural size, 
Land + 
drawn from specimens killed in Van Diemen’s 
