Forehead, lores, a narrow ring round the eye, and a narrow line running
from the angle of the lower mandible white; crown of the head black,
each feather slightly margined with white; ear-coverts silvery blackish
grey, behind which an irregular line of white; all the upper surface
brown, irregularly margined with white, producing a mottled appearance;
wings and tail brown, the primaries margined externally with yellowish
green; chin and throat brownish black, the former minutely speckled with
white; under surface of the wing buff; chest and abdomen white, striped
with blackish brown on the flanks; irides dark brown; naked skin round
the eyes dark brownish black in front, arterial blood-red behind; bill
black; legs and feet greenish grey.
The figures are of the natural size.
[Illustration:
GLYCIPHILA FASCIATA: _Gould_.
_J. Gould and H. C. Richter del et lith._ _C. Hullmandel Imp._
]
GLYCIPHILA FASCIATA, _Gould_.
Fasciated Honey-eater.
_Glyciphila fasciata_, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., October 11, 1842.
All the specimens hitherto collected of this new species have been
obtained from the Cobourg Peninsula, in the neighbourhood of Port
Essington, where, according to Mr. Gilbert, it is far from being common,
for in his notes he says, “I only once observed it near the settlement,
and once again met with it on the neck of the peninsula near the main
land. Its favourite haunts appeared to be the upper branches of the
_Melaleucæ_, from the blossoms of which it collects its food. In both
instances I observed small families of about twelve in number. Its note
is a sharp shrill piping call, very rapidly repeated.”
The fasciated markings of the under surface, by which this species is at
once distinguished from every other member of the genus to which it is
at present assigned, and the circumstance of its moving about in small
parties, would seem to indicate the propriety of its separation; as,
however, it is precisely of the same structure, and agrees with them in
the colouring of the upper surface, I have preferred retaining it in the
present genus.
Its food consists of insects generally, the pollen, and occasionally the
buds of flowers.
Crown of the head brownish black, with a small crescent of white at the
extremity of each feather; feathers of the back very dark brown,
margined with buffy brown; rump tinged with rufous; wings and tail dark
brown, fringed with light brown; sides of the face, throat and under
surface white; from the angle of the mouth down the side of the neck a
narrow stripe of brownish black; chest crossed by a number of
semicircular brownish black fasciæ; flanks and under tail-coverts buff,
the former with a stripe of brownish black down the centre; irides
reddish brown; bill greenish grey; feet aurora-red.
The figures are those of a male and a female of the natural size.
[Illustration:
GLYCIPHILA OCULARIS: _Gould_.
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