NECTARINIA AUSTRALIS, Gould.
Australian Sun-bird.
Nectarinia Australis, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., July 23. 1850.—Jard. Cout. Orn. 1850.
Terndirri, Aborigines of Cape York.
I h a il with great pleasure the discovery of a true Nectarinia in Australia, a discovery which, however,
might have been expected, when we consider how short is the distance between the northern part of that
country, and Timor and New Guinea, where these birds are known to abound.
I have carefully compared the present bird with all the species from those islands, and find it different
from the whole of them. It offers a very close alliance to the N. frcenata of the Celebes ; it will be found,
however, to differ from that species in its considerably larger size, in the mark above the eye being less
conspicuous, and in the straighter form of the bill; I have therefore thought it but right to assign to it
the name of Australis, as indicative of the only country in which it has yet been found. For my first knowledge
of this species I am indebted to the researches of my late much-valued friend Captain Ince, R.N., who,
while attached to H.M.S. Fly, paid unceasing attention to the natural history of the various parts of Australia
visited by that vessel, and who, since his recent appointment to the command of H.M.S. Pilot in the China
Seas, has paid equal attention to the ornithology of that region; but a short time has elapsed since his first
interesting consignment reached me, and within the last few days (Feb. 19, 1851) the melancholy intelligence
of his premature death has communicated a degree of grief to his friends which will be participated
in by all who take an interest in the welfare of a most excellent officer and an ardent lover of natural
history.
“ This pretty Sun-bird,” says Mr. MacGillivray, “ appears to be distributed along the whole of the northeast
coast of Australia, the adjacent islands, and the whole of the islands in Torres Straits. Although thus
generally distributed, it is nowhere numerous, seldom more than a pair being seen together. Its habits
resemble those of the Ptilotes, with which it often associates, but still more closely to those of Myzomela
obscura; like those birds, it resorts to the flowering trees to feed upon the insects which frequent the
blossoms, especially those of a species of Sciadopkyllum: this singular tree, whose range on the north-east
coast and that of the Australian Sun-bird appears to be the same, is furnished with enormous spike-like
racemes of small scarlet flowers, which attract numbers of insects, and thus furnish an abundant supply of
food to the present bird and many species of the Meliphagidce. Its note, which is a sharp, shrill cry, prolonged
for about ten seconds, may be represented by ‘ Tsee-tsee-tsee-tss-ss-ss-ss.’ The male appears to be
of a pugnacious disposition, as I have more than once seen it drive away and pursue a visitor to the same
tr e e ; perhaps, however, this disposition is only exhibited during the breeding season. I found its nest on
several occasions, as will be seen by the following extracts from my note-book:—
“ Nov, 29, 1849. Cape York. Found two nests of Nectarinia to-day: one on the margin of a scrub, the
other in a clearing. The nests were pensile, and in both cases were attached to the twig of a prickly bush :
one, measuring seven inches in length, was of an elongated shape, with a rather large opening on one side
close to the to p ; it was composed of shreds of Melaleuca bark, a few leaves, various fibrous substances,
rejectamenta of caterpillars, &c., and lined with the silky cotton of the Bombax Australis so common in the
neighbourhood. The other, which was similar in structure, contained a young bird, and an egg with a chick
almost ready for hatching. The female was seen approaching with a mouthful of flies to feed the young,
and the male was not far off. The egg was pear-shaped, generally and equally mottled with obscure
dirty brown on a greenish grey ground.
“ Dec. 4th.—Mount Ernest, Torres Straits. A nest of Nectarinia found to-day differs from those seen
at Cape York in having over the entrance a projecting fringe-like hood composed of the panicles of a delicate
grass-like plant. It contained two young birds, and I saw the mother visit them twice with an interval
of ten minutes between; she glanced past like an arrow, perched on the nest at once, clinging to the lower
side of the entrance, and looked round very watchfully for a few seconds before feeding the young, after
which she disappeared as suddenly as she had arrived.”
The male has the crown of the head and upper surface olive-green; over and under the eye two inconspicuous
marks of yellow; throat and chest steel-blue; remainder of the under surface fine yellow; irides
chestnut; bill and feet black.
The female differs in having the whole of the under surface yellow, without a trace of the steel-blue
gorget so conspicuous in the male.
The Plate represents two males and a female of the natural size.