An Australian Bird Book Part 44

=335 Gray White-eye=, _Z. bowiae_, V. (Marong). One specimen only. Mathews now says it is 334.

Like 334, but gray instead of olive, abdomen darker.

[Page 158]

[Ill.u.s.tration: [328] [330] [331] [334] [336] [336^A] [337] [340] [341]]

=328= Orange-winged Nuthatch =330= Brown Tree-Creeper =331= White-throated Tree-Creeper =334= White-eye =336= Flower-p.e.c.k.e.r =336A= Flower-p.e.c.k.e.r (Female) =337= Red-tipped Diamond-Bird =340= Spotted Diamond-Bird =341= Golden-rumped Diamond-Bird

[Page 160]

[Ill.u.s.tration: [342] [345] [346] [347] [348] [349] [350] [351] [353]]

=342= White-naped Honey-eater =345= Striped Honey-eater =346= Sanguineous Honey-eater =347= Black Honey-eater =348= Spinebill =351= Painted Honey-eater =349= Tawny-crowned Honey-eater =350= White-fronted Honey-eater =353= Regent Honey-eater

[Page 162]

[Ill.u.s.tration: [355] [356] [357] [358] [359] [362] [363] [364] [365]]

=355= Yellow-eared Honey-eater =356= Singing Honey-eater =357= Yellow-faced Honey-eater

=358= White-eared Honey-eater =359= Yellow-tufted Honey-eater =362= Yellow-plumed Honey-eater

=363= White-plumed Honey-eater =364= Crescent Honey-eater =365= White-bearded Honey-eater

[Page 164]

[Ill.u.s.tration: [360] [366] [367] [368] [370] [372] [373] [374]]

=360= Helmeted Honey-eater =366= White-cheeked Honey-eater =367= Bell-Miner =368= Noisy Miner =370= Wattle-Bird =372= Spiny-cheeked Honey-eater =373= Blue-faced Honey-eater =374= Friar-Bird

[Page 166]

[Ill.u.s.tration: [336] [337] [338] [339] [340] [341]]

F. 141. DICAEIDAE (11), FLOWER-p.e.c.k.e.rS, 113 sp.--57(57)A., 56(56)O.

1 74

=336* Australian Flower-p.e.c.k.e.r=, Mistletoe-Bird (-Swallow), _Dicaeum hirundinaceum_, A.

Stat. c. _treetops_ 3.5

Black glossed steel-blue; throat, breast, under base tail scarlet; abdomen white, black patch down centre; flanks dusky; f.,* throat, centre-abdomen buff; under base tail pale scarlet. Honey, pollen, fruits, insects. Pretty, feeble song.

[Page 167]

10 10

=337* Red-tipped Diamond-Bird= (Striated, -Pardalote), Wittychu, Pickwick, Chuck-e-chuc, _Pardalotus ornatus_, S.Q., N.S.W., V., S.A., W.A.

Stat. c. _treetops_, _scrub_ 4.2

Crown, wings, tail black spotted, lined white; back gray; rump brown; throat yellow; red spots side of wing, yellow stripe from bill above eye joins white stripe to nape; centre-abdomen white; flanks pale-brown, tinged yellow; f., sim. Insects.

"Wit-e-chu."

=338 Orange-tipped Diamond-Bird= (Ramsay, -Pardalote), _P.

a.s.similis_, E.A., C.A.

Stat. v.c. _treetops_, _timber_ 4.3

Like 337, but upper paler; orange spots on wing; as a rule only one feather in the wing edged with white; Gould thought it the young of 337; f., sim. Insects. "Wit-e-chu."

=339 Yellow-tipped Diamond-Bird=, Allied Pardalote, _P.

affinis_, E.A., S.A., T., Ba.s.s St. Is.

Stat. c. _timber_ 4.3

Like 337, 338, but yellow spot on side of wing; head black, striped white; yellow stripe from bill joins white stripe above eye; back grayish-brown; upper base tail olive-brown; tail black, tip spotted white; throat yellow; centre abdomen white; flanks buffy-brown; wings black, tipped white, a few feathers lined white; f., sim. Insects. "Witloo." "Sleep, Baby."

=340* Spotted Diamond-Bird= (Pardalote), Diamond d.y.k.e (Ground), Ground-Diamond, Diamond Sparrow (e), _P. punctatus_, T., A. (exc. N.A., C.A.).

Stat. v.c. _timber_ 3.3

Head, wings, tail black, spotted white; white stripe above eye; back grayish-brown, marked buff and black; upper base tail crimson; throat, under base tail rich yellow; abdomen fawn; f., duller; head yellow spots; throat whitish. Insects.

"Sleep, Baby," "Sweet d.i.c.k."

=341* Golden-rumped Diamond-Bird=, Yellow-rumped Pardalote, _P. xanthopygius_, N.S.W., V., S.A., W.A. f., duller. Insects.

Stat. r. _timber_ 3.5

Like 340, but upper base tail golden-yellow; throat, under base tail golden-yellow; rest under buffy-white.

[Ill.u.s.tration: [342] [343] [344] [345] [346] [347]]

F. 142. NECTARINIIDAE (1), SUN-BIRDS, 234 sp.--36(33)A., 77(74)O., 2(1)P., 123(122)E.

F. 143. _Promeropidae_, Promerops, 2 sp. E. (S. Afr.)

Order XXI. (continued)

The most characteristic family of birds of the Australian region is the Honey-eaters. Flowering eucalypts and other myrtaceous plants, with their honey-bearing flowers and usually inedible fruits, are the characteristic Australian trees; so are these birds, depending so largely on the honey of these brilliant flowers and the insects which visit them, the characteristic Australian birds. The Honey-eaters form a very large family, and are found throughout the Australian region as far as New Zealand and away to the Sandwich Islands, which, zoologically, belong to Australia. Strange it is that only one species should have spread to the west across Wallace's line to the island of Bali. These birds are provided with a brush tongue, which is used in brus.h.i.+ng up honey from the flowers. They have usually a long, slender, curved bill, suitable for exploring flowers. Their feet are well developed and strong, for they are used while hanging in all sorts of positions as the flowers are explored. No less than eighty-eight Honey-eaters are found in Australia, but they are often restricted to very limited areas, so that no district would contain many kinds of these birds. Many are well known, though not by the name Honey-eater.

Who does not know the harsh note of the Wattle-Bird (Wattled Honey-eater)? Again, who does not often meet the Noisy Miner (Garrulous Honey-eater), a bird that makes such a fuss when a snake appears that he is sometimes called the Snake-Bird? Is there a city boy who does not know the Greenie (White-plumed Honey-eater)? Some of the Honey-eaters are amongst the most beautiful of birds.

The Regent (Warty-faced) Honey-eater is a glory, and is often figured in British books as one of the world's beautiful birds.

The Helmeted Honey-eater is very rare, and is probably confined to the deep forests of Gippsland. It is one of the most splendid of Honey-eaters.