Top of the head and cheeks black, with minute white feathers on the
forehead round the base of the upper mandible; a superciliary stripe, a
moustache at the base of the upper mandible, and a small tuft of
feathers immediately behind the ear-coverts white; feathers on the
throat white and bristle-like; upper surface brownish black, becoming
browner on the rump; wings brownish black, the outer edges of the quills
margined at the base with beautiful wax-yellow, and faintly margined
with white towards the extremities; tail brownish black, margined
externally at the base with wax-yellow, and all but the two centre
feathers with a large oval spot of white on the inner web at the tip;
under surface white, broadly striped longitudinally with black, the
black predominating on the breast and the white on the abdomen; irides
white; bill and feet black.
The figures are those of a male and female of the natural size, on a
Banksia of Van Diemen’s Land.
[Illustration:
MELIPHAGA LONGIROSTRIS: _Gould_.
_J. Gould and H. C. Richter del et lith._ _Hullmandel & Walton Imp._
]
MELIPHAGA LONGIROSTRIS, _Gould_.
Long-billed Honey-eater.
_Meliphaga longirostris_, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Sept. 22,
1846.
_Bȁn-dene_, Aborigines of the lowland districts of Western Australia.
_Yellow-winged Honey-eater_ of the Colonists.
Although the _Meliphaga longirostris_ and _Meliphaga Novæ-Hollandiæ_ are
very similar, they will on comparison prove to be specifically distinct;
they are, in fact, beautiful representatives of each other on the
opposite sides of the great Australian continent, the _M. longirostris_
inhabiting the western, and the _M. Novæ-Hollandiæ_ being spread over
the eastern portion of the country, and it would be a matter of some
interest to know at what degree of longitude the two species inosculate:
I have traced the latter as far to the westward as Port Lincoln, while,
so far as is known, the range of the former does not extend beyond the
Swan River settlement. Several points of difference are found to exist
in the two species, the most material of which are in the shape and
length of the bill, and in the size of the white mark on the fore-part
of the cheeks; the _M. longirostris_, as its name implies, has the bill
much more lengthened and comparatively stouter than that of its near
ally, and it moreover has the white patch on the face much less defined,
and blended to a greater extent with the neighbouring black colouring;
in the size of the body the two species are very much alike.
The _M. longirostris_ inhabits all those districts of the Swan River
settlement in which there are Banksias, a group of trees which it is
evidently formed to inhabit, and the flowers of which yield it a
constant supply of food, both of insects and honey. Like the other
species of the group, it is very pugnacious, and when fighting utters a
rapidly repeated chirrup, very much resembling that of the European
Sparrow.
Its flight, which is varied, is sometimes extremely rapid.
It is a very early breeder, commencing in the first days of July and
continuing as late as the last week in November. The nest consists of
small sticks and fibrous roots, lined with Zamia wool or the buds of
flowers; and is built in a variety of situations, sometimes in small
thinly-branched trees, at about twelve feet from the ground; at others
in small clumps of grass, only a few inches above the ground: in the
York district it is frequently constructed among the bulrushes; but the
most usual situation is in a scrubby bush surrounded with grass, at an
altitude of about two or three feet; the eggs are ordinarily two in
number, but towards the latter end of the breeding-season three are
often found; their ground colour is a delicate buff, with the larger end
clouded with reddish buff, and thickly spotted and blotched with
chestnut-brown and chestnut-red arranged in the form of a zone; their
medium length is nine lines, and breadth seven lines.
The sexes are alike in colouring, but the female is about one-fifth
smaller than her mate in all their admeasurements.
Top of the head and cheeks black, with minute white feathers on the
forehead round the base of the upper mandible; a superciliary stripe, a
moustache at the base of the lower mandible, and a small tuft of
feathers immediately behind the ear-coverts white; feathers on the
throat white and bristle-like; upper surface brownish black, becoming
browner on the rump; wings brownish black, the outer edges of the quills
margined at the base with beautiful wax-yellow, and faintly margined
with white towards the extremities; tail brownish black, margined
externally at the base with wax-yellow, and all but the two centre
feathers with a large oval spot of white on the inner web at the tip;
surface white, broadly striped with black, the black predominating on
the breast and the white on the abdomen; irides white; bill and feet
black.
The figures are of the natural size.
[Illustration:
MELIPHAGA SERICEA: _Gould_.
_J. Gould and H. C. Richter del et lith._ _C. Hullmandel Imp._
]
MELIPHAGA SERICEA, _Gould_.
White-cheeked Honey-eater.
_New Holland Creeper_, female, White’s Voy., pl. in p. 297.
_L’Heorotaire noir_, Vieill. Ois. dor., tom. ii. p. 106. pl. 71.
_Meliphaga sericea_, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part IV. p. 144;
and in Syn. Birds of Australia, Part I.
_Meliphaga sericeola_, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part V. p. 152,
female.
The White-cheeked Honey-eater is an inhabitant of New South Wales, and
certainly proceeds as far to the eastward as Moreton Bay; but the birds
inhabiting the country to the northward of this are so entirely unknown,
that it is impossible to say how far its range may extend in that
direction. It has not yet been discovered in Van Diemen’s Land or South
Australia. It differs materially in its habits and disposition from the
_Meliphaga Novæ-Hollandiæ_, being less exclusively confined to the
brushes, and affecting localities of a more open character. I observed
it to be tolerably abundant in the Illawarra district, particularly
among the shrubs surrounding the open glades of the luxuriant brushes;
it is also common at Botany Bay, and on most parts of the sea-coast
between that place and the river Clarence; but I never met with it
during any of my excursions into the interior of the country.
I found it, unlike its near ally, a remarkably shy species; so much so,
that I frequently had much difficulty in getting within gun-shot of it.
When perched on the trees it is a most showy bird, its white
cheek-feathers and contrasted tints of colouring rendering it very
conspicuous.
I did not succeed in finding its nest, a circumstance I much regret; for
although it is probable that in the colour of its eggs and its mode of
nidification it generally resembles the _M. Novæ-Hollandiæ_, there will
doubtless be found as great a specific difference in these respects as
is to be observed in the markings of their plumage.
The sexes are alike in colour, but the female is somewhat the smaller.
The white cheeks and the absence of white tips to the tail-feathers will
at all times distinguish it from the _M. Novæ-Hollandiæ_.
Crown of the head, throat, and space round the eye black; an obscure
band of white crosses the forehead and passes over each eye; a beautiful
plume of hair-like white feathers spreads over the cheeks and
ear-coverts; back dusky brown, striped longitudinally with black; under
surface white, each feather having a central longitudinal mark of black;
wings dark brown, the outer edge of all the primaries and secondaries
wax-yellow; tail dark brown, the external edges margined with yellow;
irides dark brown; feet and bill black.
The figures represent two males of the natural size, on a plant growing
in the district of Illawarra, called Christmas by the settlers.
[Illustration:
MELIPHAGA MYSTACALIS: _Gould_.
_J. Gould and H. C. Richter del et lith._ _Hullmandel & Walton Imp._
]
MELIPHAGA MYSTACALIS, _Gould_.
Moustached Honey-eater.
_Meliphaga mystacalis_, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part VIII. p.
161.
_Bȁn-dene_, Aborigines of Swan River.
At the time I described this new species of _Meliphaga_ in the
“Proceedings of the Zoological Society,” I was not aware that M.
Temminck had applied the term _mystacalis_ to another species of
Honey-eater, or I should have selected a different appellation; as
however M. Temminck’s bird belongs to a distinct section of this great
family, any alteration would rather tend to produce confusion than
otherwise.
The _Meliphaga mystacalis_ is a native of Western Australia, in which
country it beautifully represents the _Meliphaga sericea_ of New South
Wales. It is abundant in the vicinity of Perth and Fremantle, and is
sparingly dispersed over many other districts of the Swan River colony;
according to Mr. Gilbert it is remarkably shy, and only found in the
most secluded places in the bush, or on the summits of the limestone
hills running parallel with the beach; it generally feeds on the topmost
branches of the _Banksiæ_, and is very pugnacious, defending its young
from intruders with the most determined courage.
Its note is a loud chirp, which is often rapidly repeated six or seven
times in succession; but while rising on the wing, it emits a song very
much resembling that of the Tree Lark of Europe.
Its flight, which is very varied, is occasionally characterized by a
great degree of rapidity: during the season of incubation it frequently
rises above its nest in a perpendicular direction, and having attained a
considerable height, suddenly closes its wings, and descends abruptly
until it reaches the top of the scrub, when the wings are again
expanded, and it flies horizontally for a few yards, perches, and then
utters its peculiar sharp, chirping note; it also often hovers over
small trees, and captures insects after the manner of the Flycatchers.
It is a very early breeder, young birds ready to leave the nest having
been found on the 8th of August; it has also been met with breeding as
late as November; it doubtless therefore produces more than one brood in
the course of the season. The nest is generally built near the top of a
small, weak, thinly-branched bush, of about two or three feet in height,
situated in a plantation of seedling mahogany or other _Eucalypti_; it
is formed of small dried sticks, grass, and narrow strips of soft bark,
and is usually lined with _Zamia_ wool; but in those parts of the
country where that plant is not found, the soft buds of flowers, or the
hairy, flowering part of grasses, form the lining material, and in the
neighbourhood of sheep-walks, wool collected from the scrub. The eggs
are usually two in number, but frequently only a single one is laid and
hatched. They are nine lines long by seven lines broad, and are usually
of a dull reddish buff, spotted very distinctly with chestnut and
reddish brown, interspersed with obscure dashes of purplish grey; but
they appear to differ considerably in colour and form; I have seen one
variety in which the ground colour was nearly white and destitute of
markings, except at the larger end, where it was clouded with dull
reddish brown.
The stomach is small and muscular, and the food consists of small
coleoptera and other insects.
The sexes are only distinguishable by the smaller size of the female.
Head, chin and throat black; over the eye a narrow line of white; ears
covered by a conspicuous tuft of white feathers, which are closely set
and terminate in a point towards the back; upper surface brownish black,
the feathers edged with white; under surface white, with a broad stripe
of black down the centre of each feather; wings and tail blackish brown,
conspicuously margined with bright yellow; irides brown; bill black;
feet blackish brown.
The figures are of the natural size, and represent the bird on a species
of _Banksia_, one of a tribe of trees on which it is most frequently
found.
[Illustration: