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:—