_J. Gould and H. C. Richter del et lith._ _C. Hullmandel Imp._
]
MYZANTHA GARRULA, _Vig. & Horsf._
Garrulous Honey-eater.
_Merops garrulus_, Lath. Ind. Orn., Supp. p. xxiv.
_Chattering Bee-eater_, Lath. Gen. Syn., Supp., vol. ii. p. 154.—Shaw,
Gen. Zool., vol. viii. p. 171.
_Chattering Honey-eater_, Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. iv. p. 164.
_Philemon garrulus_, Vieill. 2nd edit. du Nouv. Dict. d’Hist. Nat.,
tom. xxvii. p. 427.—Ib. Ency. Méth. Orn., Part ii. p. 616.
_Myzantha garrula_, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 319.
_Cobaýgin_, Aborigines of New South Wales.
_Miner_, Colonists of Van Diemen’s Land.
Van Diemen’s Land, and all parts of the colonies of New South Wales and
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 them to be
merely local varieties and not distinct species.
The natural habits of this bird lead it to frequent the thinly timbered
forests of _Eucalypti_ 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 I meet with
it on the opposite shore during 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-eater 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 I ever met with, for if its haunts be in the least
intruded upon it becomes the most restless and inquisitive creature
possible, and withal so bold and noisy that it is 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 this 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 in pursuit.
The food of this bird is of a mixed character, for although it loves to
dwell among the branches of the flowering _Eucalypti_, from the pollen
of the flowers of which it obtains much genial food, it preys with
avidity upon insects, both those resorting to the flowers of the
gum-trees and those—coleoptera, &c.—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 is of the same diminutive size as the rest of the Honey-eaters,
but, as might be supposed from the varied character of the food, is much
more muscular.
The nest is cup-shaped and 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, or fine soft hair-like strips of bark,
frequently mixed with feathers: it is usually placed among the small
upright branches of a moderately-sized tree. The eggs, 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 at the larger end so frequently observable in the eggs of other
species.
The sexes offer no other external difference than that the female is a
trifle smaller than her mate.
Face grey; crown of the head dull black; ear-coverts and a
crescent-shaped mark inclining upwards to the angle of the bill glossy
black; all the upper surface light greyish brown; the feathers at the
back of the neck tipped with silvery grey; primaries dark brown margined
externally with grey; secondaries dark brown on their inner webs, the
outer webs grey at the tip, and wax-yellow at the base; tail greyish
brown, with dark brown shafts, and all but the two centre feathers
largely tipped with brownish white; chin grey, a patch of dark brown
down the centre; under surface grey; the feathers of the breast with a
narrow crescent-shaped mark of brown near the tip of each; irides dark
hazel; naked space beneath the eye, bill and feet yellow.
The Plate represents the two sexes of the natural size, drawn from
specimens killed in Van Diemen’s Land.
[Illustration:
MYZANTHA OBSCURA: _Gould_.
_J. Gould and H. C. Richter del et lith._ _C. Hullmandel Imp._
]
MYZANTHA OBSCURA, _Gould_.
Sombre Honey-eater.
_Myzantha obscura_, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part VIII. p. 159.
_Bil-y̏a-goo-rong_, Aborigines of the lowland, and
_Bil-yoȕr-ga_, Aborigines of the mountain districts of Western
Australia.
This species inhabits Swan River and the south-western portion of
Australia generally, where it beautifully represents the _Myzantha
garrula_ of New South Wales. In habits, actions and disposition the two
birds nearly assimilate, minor differences being easily discernible.
Mr. Gilbert’s notes supply me with the following information, which I
give in his own words:—
“It inhabits every variety of wooded situation, in all parts of the
colony, and is generally met with in small families. In flying the wings
are moved very rapidly, but the bird does make progress in proportion to
the apparent exertion; at times, when passing from tree to tree, its
flight is graceful in the extreme.
“Its note is a loud _pee-pee_, which is often very much varied.
“The stomach is small but tolerably muscular; and the food, which
consists of coleopterous and other insects, seeds and berries, is
procured both on the ground and among the branches.
“The nest is built on an upright fork of the topmost branches of the
smaller gum-trees, and is formed of small dried sticks lined with soft
grasses and feathers. The eggs are eleven and a half lines long by nine
lines broad, of a rich orange-buff, obscurely spotted and blotched with
a deeper tint, particularly at the larger end.”
The sexes offer but little difference in colour, but the female is
somewhat smaller in all her admeasurements.
Forehead yellowish olive; lores, line beneath the eye and ear-coverts
black; head and all the upper surface dull grey, with an indistinct line
of brown down the centre of each feather, giving the whole a mottled
appearance; wings and tail brown, margined at the base of the external
webs with wax-yellow, the tail terminating in white; throat and under
surface dull grey, becoming lighter on the lower part of the abdomen and
under tail-coverts; the feathers of the breast with a crescent-shaped
mark of light brown near the extremity, and tipped with light grey;
irides dark brown; bare skin round the eye, bill, and bare patch on each
side of the throat, bright yellow; legs and feet dull reddish yellow;
claws dark brown.
The Plate represents the two sexes of the natural size.
[Illustration:
MYZANTHA LUTEA: _Gould_.
_J. Gould and H. C. Richter del et lith._ _C. Hullmandel Imp._
]
MYZANTHA LUTEA, _Gould_.
Luteous Honey-eater.
_Myzantha lutea_, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part VII. p. 134.
I consider this to be by far the finest species of the genus yet
discovered, exceeding as it does every other both in size and in the
brilliancy of its colouring. I am indebted to Messrs. Bynoe and Dring
for fine specimens of this beautiful bird, which were obtained by those
gentlemen on the north-west coast of Australia, in which part of the
country it supplies the place of the _Myzantha garrula_ of New South
Wales. The law of representation is rarely carried out in a more
beautiful manner, even in the ornithology of Australia, than in the
members of the present genus; the _Myzantha garrula_ being, so far as is
yet known, confined to the south-eastern portion of the country, the _M.
lutea_ to the neighbourhood of the north coast, the _Myzantha obscura_
to Swan River on the western coast, and the _M. flavigula_ to the
north-eastern portion of the country.
Naked space behind the eye, forehead and the tips of several feathers on
the sides of the neck, fine citron-yellow; lores blackish brown with
silvery reflexions; upper surface grey, the feathers of the back of the
neck and back crossed near the tip with white; rump, upper tail-coverts
and under surface white; throat and chest tinged with grey, each feather
crossed by an arrow-shaped mark of brown; wings and tail brown, the
external margins of the feathers dull citron-yellow; tail tipped with
white; bill fine citron-yellow; feet yellowish brown.
The Plate represents the two sexes of the natural size.
[Illustration:
MYZANTHA FLAVICULA: _Gould_.
_J. Gould and H. C. Richter del et lith._ _Hullmandel & Walton Imp._
]
MYZANTHA FLAVIGULA, _Gould_.
Yellow-throated Miner.
_Myzantha flavigula_, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part VII. p. 143.
This species inhabits the interior of New South Wales, where it is
tolerably abundant in most of the belts of _Eucalypti_ bordering the
river Namoi and all similar situations: although it has many of the
habits and actions of its near ally the _Myzantha garrula_, it is much
more shy in disposition, less noisy, and more disposed to frequent the
tops of the trees; and so exclusively does it replace the common species
in the districts alluded to that the latter does not occur therein.
I did not succeed in finding the nest, but the fact of my having shot
very young individuals affords indubitable evidence that the bird breeds
in the localities above-mentioned.
The sexes are alike in plumage.
Naked space behind the eye, forehead, upper part of the throat, and the
tips of several feathers on each side of the neck citron-yellow; rump
and upper tail-coverts white; back of the neck and back grey, each
feather obscurely barred with white near the tip; lores and ear-coverts
black, the latter crossed with silvery grey; throat, cheeks, and all the
under surface white, the feathers of the chest crossed by an
arrow-shaped mark of brown; wings and tail dark brown, the outer webs of
the primaries, many of the secondaries, and the basal portion of the
tail-feathers dull citron-yellow; all the tail-feathers tipped with
white; bill bright orange-yellow; feet yellow; irides leaden brown.
The figures represent the two sexes of the natural size.
[Illustration: