MYZANTHA FLAVIGULA,Gould.Yellow-throated Miner.
Myzantha flavigula, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part VII. p. 143.
This species inhabits the interior of New South Wales, where it is tolerably abundant in most of the belts ofEucalyptibordering the river Namoi and all similar situations: although it has many of the habits and actions of its near ally theMyzantha garrula, it is much more shy in disposition, less noisy, and more disposed to frequent the tops of the trees; and so exclusively does it replace the common species in the districts alluded to that the latter does not occur therein.
I did not succeed in finding the nest, but the fact of my having shot very young individuals affords indubitable evidence that the bird breeds in the localities above-mentioned.
The sexes are alike in plumage.
Naked space behind the eye, forehead, upper part of the throat, and the tips of several feathers on each side of the neck citron-yellow; rump and upper tail-coverts white; back of the neck and back grey, each feather obscurely barred with white near the tip; lores and ear-coverts black, the latter crossed with silvery grey; throat, cheeks, and all the under surface white, the feathers of the chest crossed by an arrow-shaped mark of brown; wings and tail dark brown, the outer webs of the primaries, many of the secondaries, and the basal portion of the tail-feathers dull citron-yellow; all the tail-feathers tipped with white; bill bright orange-yellow; feet yellow; irides leaden brown.
The figures represent the two sexes of the natural size.