SOI CRE LOR AF WAC EA OR BON |

 

MELITHREPTUS LUNULATUS.
Lunulated Honey-eater.

Certhia lunulata, Shaw, Gen. Zool., vol. viii. p. 224.

Le Fuscalbin, Vieill. Ois. dor., tom. i. p. 95. pl. 61.

Red-eyed Honey-eater, Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. iv. p. 203. no. 65.

Meliphaga lunulata, Vig. & Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 315.—Jard. & Selb. Til. Orn., vol. iii. pl. 134. fig. 2.
Black-crowned Honey-sucker, Lewin, Birds of New Holl, pl. 24.

Meliphaga atricapilla, Temm. Pl. Col. 335. fig. 1.

 

torquata, Swains. Zool. Ill., 1st Ser., pl. 116.

Hematops lunulatus, Gould in Syn. Birds of Australia, Part I.

Gymnophrys torquatus, Swains. Class. of Birds, vol. 11. p. 327.
Melithreptus lunulatus, G. R. Gray, List of Gen. of Birds, 2nd edit., p. 21.

 

Tue Lunulated Honey-eater is very abundantly dispersed over the colonies of New South Wales and South
Australia, where it inhabits almost every variety of situation, but gives a decided preference to the Hucalypt:
and Angophore trees, among the smaller branches of which it may be constantly seen actively engaged in
searching for insects, which with the pollen of the flowers constitute its sole food. It is a stationary species,
and breeds during the months of August and September ; its beautiful, round, cup-shaped open nest is com-
posed of the inner rind of the stringy bark or other allied gum-trees intermingled with wool and hair,
warmly lined with opossums’ fur, and is suspended by the rim to the small leafy twigs of the topmost
branches of the Eucalypti. The eggs are two or three in number, of a pale buff, dotted all over, but parti-
cularly at the larger end, with distinct markings of rich reddish brown and chestnut-red, among which are a
few clouded markings of bluish grey ; their medium length is nine lines, and breadth six and a half lines.

Like the young of AZ. chloropsis, the young birds of this species breed some time before arriving at
maturity ; at all events I have found examples breeding with that brown colouring of the head and neck,
which I believe to be characteristic of youth.

The sexes are alike in plumage, but the female is somewhat smaller than the male.

Upper surface greenish olive; head and chin black; crescent-shaped mark at the occiput and all the
under surface white ; wings and tail brown, the apical half of the external webs of the primaries narrowly
edged with grey ; basal half of the external webs of the primaries, the outer webs of the secondaries and
the tail-feathers washed with greenish olive; naked space above the eye scarlet; feet olive; irides very
dark brown; bill blackish brown.

The Plate represents a male and a female of the natural size.