a school-boys' name for Ptilotispenicillata, Gould, the White-plumed Honey-eater.
1896. `The Australasian,' Jan. 11, p. 73, col. 1:
«A bird smaller than the Australian minah, and of a greenishyellowish hue, larger, but similar to the members of thefeathered tribe known to young city `knights of the catapult'as greenies.»
1897. A. J. Campbell (in `The Australasian,'Jan. 23), p. 180,col. 5:
«Every schoolboy about Melbourne knows what the `greenie'is – – the white-plumed honey-eater (P. penicillata). Theupper-surface is yellowish-grey, and the under-surface brownishin tone. The white-plumed honey-eater is common in Victoria,where it appears to be one of the few native birds that is notdriven back by civilisation. In fact, its numbers haveincreased in the parks and gardens in the vicinity ofMelbourne.»