This bird I believe to be peculiar to Van Diemen’s Land, over the whole
of which island it is very abundant. The _Eucalypti_ appear to be the
trees to which it gives preference, for although it is seen on every
tree in the forest, the gums are those most frequented by it; and among
the foliage and flowers of those trees it is constantly searching for
its food, which is of a mixed character, and which, like that of the
other members of the _Meliphagidæ_, consists principally of insects,
particularly small coleoptera, and the pollen of flowers; like the other
members of the family also, it creeps and clings about the branches
after the manner of the Tits of Europe. It is a lively, animated bird,
and generally goes in companies of from ten to twenty in number,
according as the supply of food may be more or less plentiful. During
the fruit-season it frequents the gardens of the settlers and commits
considerable havoc among the fruit, of which it is exceedingly fond.
The sexes are precisely alike in external appearance, but the young
differ considerably from the adults, having the throat yellowish white
instead of black, and the basal portion of the bill flesh-colour or
yellow; their feet also are much lighter than the adults.
This bird is one of the numerous foster-parents of _Cuculus cinereus_
and _C. cineraceus_, which species I have seen it feeding soon after
leaving the nest.
The whole of the head and throat, and a semilunar mark on either side of
the chest deep glossy black; all the upper surface yellowish olive,
becoming brighter on the rump; wings and tail brownish grey with lighter
margins; breast white; remainder of the upper surface greyish white;
bill black; irides reddish brown; feet brown; bare skin over the eye
pearly white, slightly tinged with green.
The Plate represents a male and a female of the natural size.
[Illustration:
MYZANTHA GARRULA: _Vig. & Horsf._
_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.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account