PTILOTIS VERSICOLOR, Gould.
Varied Honey-eater.
Ptilotis versicolor, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part X. p. 136.
This fine species, which is a native of the northern portion of Australia, is only known to me from a specimen contained in a collection from that part of the country. That its whole habits and economy will hereafter be found to assimilate most closely to those of the Ptilotis sonorus is certain, as it is most intimately allied to that species, but may be readily distinguished from it by its larger size, its much longer and stouter bill, by the more contrasted character of its markings, and the sulphur or wax-yellow colour which pervades the breast and upper surface. It is one of the finest species yet discovered of the genus to which it belongs, and is at present so rare, that my own specimen is probably the only one that has been brought to Europe.
All the upper surface brownish olive, tinged with yellowish olive on the margins of the feathers; outer webs of the primaries and tail wax-yellow; inner webs brown; under surface of the wing and tail yellowish buff; stripe over the eye to the back of the neck black; ear-coverts dark grey; below the ear-coverts a stripe of bright yellow; throat and under surface yellow, becoming paler as it approaches the vent, each feather with a stripe of brown down the centre.
The Plate represents the bird in two positions of the natural size.
PTILOTIS FLAVIGULA: Gould.
J. Gould and H. C. Richter del et lith. Hullmandel & Walton Imp.
PTILOTIS FLAVIGULA, Gould.
Yellow-throated Honey-eater.
Ptilotis flavigula, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part VI. p. 24; and in Syn. Birds of Australia, Part IV.
This fine and conspicuous species of Ptilotis is abundant in all the ravines round Hobart Town, and is very generally dispersed over the whole of Van Diemen’s Land, to which island I believe it to be exclusively confined, for I neither observed it myself nor have I met with any example in the numerous collections I have received from South Australia and New South Wales. It is very animated and sprightly in its disposition, extremely quick in its actions, elegant in its form, and graceful in all its movements; but as its colouring assimilates in a remarkable degree with that of the leaves of the trees it frequents, it is somewhat difficult of detection. When engaged in searching for food it frequently expands its wings and tail, creeps and clings among the branches in a variety of beautiful attitudes, and often suspends itself to the extreme ends of the outermost twigs; it occasionally perches on the dead branches of the highest trees, but is mostly to be met with in the dense thickets. It flies in an undulating manner like a Woodpecker, but this power is rarely exercised.