An Australian Bird Book Part 45

That active city-dweller, the Greenie, is found in almost every large eucalypt that happens to be in flower. It is pugnacious. As it busily brushes honey from the flowers, or catches an insect on the wing, the white ear plume can be seen. Otherwise, it has not conspicuous colors.

Its lively call of "chick-oo-wee" adds something to life for the busy city toiler.

Now come the Miners. The Noisy Miner is known to nearly everyone. It is a common visitor to school grounds at lunch time, and is a noisy bird that is little loved by sportsmen, for it persists in alarming all game within reach. A second Miner is famous as the Bell-Bird, better Bell-Miner. The tinkling notes, "like silver bells from a distant shrine," must be heard in a deep fern gully to be appreciated fully. The green birds are seldom seen. Kendall has immortalized this bird in his beautiful poem, "Bell-Birds."

The Wattle-Bird is known to all. It is a pugnacious bird, and has a rough, disagreeable note. It has a small wattle of naked red flesh hanging at the side of the neck, hence the name. The bold, pugnacious Brush Wattle-Bird is not so well known, though its notes are even more remarkable. Both birds to-day are common in the Melbourne Botanic Gardens on the flowering plants in the "Australian" section.

The Spiny-cheeked Honey-eater is said to be a rare bird, but there is probably not a park about Melbourne but has some of these at present, as well as all through the winter. It is somewhat similar in build and habits to the Wattle-Birds, but is an elegant and attractive bird, with many peculiar notes.

The Blue-eye (Blue-faced Honey-eater) is a conspicuous bird in country districts. He is noisy, and is handsomely attired. His nesting habits are peculiar, for he often builds in the deserted nest of a Babbler.

The remarkable Friar-Bird has a naked, dark-blue head, and is an "impudent and daring" bird, that does not hesitate to steal fruit. Its loud call has been variously interpreted as "Four o'clock," "Pimlico,"

or "Tobacco-box." This bird has a hump on its long curved bill. The Yellow-throated Friar-Bird, when young, has yellow on the end of the throat feathers, and has no hump on the bill. It is a summer visitor to Southern Australia.

The well-known Ground-Lark, or Australian Pipit, is the Australian representative of the cosmopolitan family (147) of Pipits. Even New Zealand has its representative of this family. The Wagtails of Britain and North America belong to this family, whereas the so-called Australian Wagtail is a flycatcher. Like the other members of its family, our Ground-Lark, or Pipit, sometimes sings beautifully as it soars.

The Skylark of Britain comes in the next family (the _Alaudidae_), which is almost cosmopolitan. This beautiful songster, singing at Heaven's gate, pours forth a flood of melody. The man who has these delightful songsters on open land near his home is indeed fortunate.

Australia has its representative of this family--the Bush-Lark, a bird so remarkably like the Australian Pipit in external appearance that it is well-nigh impossible to distinguish them in the field. The Bush-Lark, however, is "shorter, plumper, and has a stouter bill." It further has a peculiar, greatly undulating flight. It mounts up, then sinks, then mounts, and so on alternately, "singing all the time very melodiously, but with a weaker strain than that favorite bird" (the British Skylark).

Four introduced Finches have succeeded in establis.h.i.+ng themselves in Southern Australia. The Greenfinch is spreading, though slowly. A specimen was recently sent in from Horsham, in Western Victoria.

The Goldfinch, "one of the prettiest birds in Britain," is spreading rapidly. It is often to be seen on thistles, for it destroys their seeds.

The Tree-Sparrow is rare as yet, but the House-Sparrow is already a serious pest, though probably he has not been valued highly enough as a weed destroyer. However, it was a pity early colonists did not take notice of Gould's protests and warnings, for possibly the greatest harm introduced birds do is the displacing of native birds.

(continued below)

[Page 168]

F. 144. MELIPHAGIDAE (88), HONEY-EATERS, Honey-Suckers (-Birds), 251 sp.--250(250)A., 1(1)O.

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=342* White-naped Honey-eater= (Lunulated), Blackcap, _Melithreptus atricapillus_, S.Q., N.S.W., V., S.A., Kent Group.

Stat. v.c. _timber_ 5.5

Upper yellowish-olive; quills brown; head, hind-neck black; narrow white band on nape; under white; naked patch about eye orange-scarlet; f., sim.; young no black cap. Tame. Honey, pollen, insects. Peevish, half-whistling note.

[Page 169]

=343 Black-chinned Honey-eater= (Black-throated), _M.

gularis_, E.A., S.A., W.A.

Stat. r. _timber_ 6.7

Upper olive-yellow; head, nape black; whitish band on nape joins white band up to eye; sides of throat white, centre blackish; chest grayish; sides creamy; centre-abdomen white; naked skin about eye turquoise-blue; f., sim. Honey, insects, seeds. Sweet song.

=344 Brown-headed Honey-eater= (Short-billed), _M.

brevirostris_, E.A., S.A., W.A.

Stat. r. _timber_ 5.7

Greenish-olive upper; quills brown; head, nape dark-brown; whitish band on nape continued as brownish-white band on head; under creamy; bare skin about eye greenish-blue in winter, dull yellow (delicate flesh-tint) in summer; f., sim. Honey, insects. Rough, rattle-like note.

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=345* Striped Honey-eater= (Lanceolated), _Plectoramphus lanceolatus_, E.A., S.A., W.A. (inland).

Stat. r. _timber_ 8.8

Upper grayish-brown, striped blackish-brown; wing-quills brown, edged lighter; throat white; under, upper base tail white; black marks side of neck, flanks. Honey, insects.

Cheerful, loud whistle, "Chirp, chirp, cherry, cherry."

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=346* Sanguineous Honey-eater= (Blood), Humming-Bird (e), Blood-Bird, _Myzomela sanguinolenta_, E.A. (coastal).

Nom. r. _thick bushes_, _heath_ 4.3

Head, neck, breast, back, upper base tail rich s.h.i.+ning scarlet; side-face, wings, tail black, wings lined lighter; abdomen buff; f., light brown, lighter below. Pollen, honey, insects. Beautiful song.

=347* Black Honey-eater=, _M. nigra_, A. exc. N. Ter.

(interior).

Mig. v.r. _plains_ 4.4

Black; side abdomen, under base tail white; f., brown; under dull-white; breast marked dark-brown; under base tail white.

Insects. Plaintive song.

[Page 170]

[Ill.u.s.tration: [348] [349] [350] [351] [352] [353]]

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=348* Spinebill=, Spinebill Honey-eater, Humming-Bird (e), Cobbler's Awl, _Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris_, E.A., S.A., T., Ba.s.s St. Is.

Stat. c. _Banksias_, _heath_ 6.5

Crown, line to crescent on side of chest, wings, tail black; chest white, chestnut-brown patch on throat; back brown; abdomen light chestnut-brown; outer tail tipped white; eye scarlet; f., duller. Insects, honey. Monotonous strong call.

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=349* Tawny-crowned Honey-eater= (Fulvous-fronted), _Gliciphila melanops (fulvifrons)_, S.Q., N.S.W., V., S.A., W.A., T., Ba.s.s St. Is.

Stat. c. _sandy_, _heathy_ 7