Head, neck, upper part of the back, chin and chest black; scapularies black, broadly margined with pale yellow; lower part of the back black, margined with yellowish white; upper tail-coverts like the scapularies; wings black, the coverts margined with yellow; spurious wing yellow; primaries black, with an oblong stripe of yellow occupying the margin of the outer and a portion of the inner web next the quill, which is black; secondaries black, broadly margined on the outer web with yellow; under surface black, with an arrow-shaped mark of yellowish white near the extremity of each feather; two centre tail-feathers black, slightly tipped with yellow; the remainder black at the base, and yellow for the remainder of their length, the black decreasing and the yellow increasing as the feathers recede from the two central ones; irides reddish brown; bill black; feet blackish brown; warty excrescences covering the face dirty yellowish white. The figures represent two males, a female, and the nest of the natural size. [Illustration: MELICOPHILA PICATA: _Gould_. _J. Gould and H. C. Richter del et lith._ _C. Hullmandel Imp._ ] MELICOPHILA PICATA, _Gould_. Pied Honey-eater. _Melicophila picata_, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., April 9, 1844. The accompanying illustration represents an entirely new species of Honey-eater, differing both in form and in colouring from every other at present known; in the pied style of its plumage it so strongly resembles the _Petroica bicolor_, that it might be easily mistaken for that bird; its structural difference is, however, so apparent on comparison that no doubt can for a moment be entertained as to its proper situation in the ‘Systema Avium.’ Its flight is also very different from that of the _Petroica bicolor_. Like many other of the Honey-eaters, its actions when on the wing are extremely varied, and some of them exceedingly graceful; it frequently ascends in a perpendicular direction to a considerable height above the trees with its tail very much spread, when the contrast presented by its black and white plumage renders it a conspicuous and pleasing object. It is at all times exceedingly shy, and invariably perches on the top of an isolated bush or dead branch. It usually utters a peculiar plaintive note, slowly repeated several times in succession; it also emits a single note, which so closely resembles that of the _Myzomela nigra_, as to be easily mistaken for it. It is at all times extremely difficult of approach, particularly the female, which, if possible, is even more shy and wary than her mate. Mr. Gilbert mentions, that unlike the other members of the family, this species assembles in vast flocks, which continue soaring about during the greater portion of the day. It is a periodical visitant to Western Australia, where it arrives simultaneously with the _Artamus personatus_ and _Melopsittacus undulatus_ in the latter part of October.