(3) 



twig, exactly like an Oriole's nest. The eggs are pale blue, like all Zosterops eggs, 

 and measure : 17-.5 : 12-8, 17-7 : 12-5, 18 : 12, 16-5 : 12, 170 : 13, 17 : 12-3 mm. 



Zosterops conspicillata of Guam lays generally two and even three eggs. 

 The fact that so many Passeres on the Pacific Islands lay only one egg is com- 

 mented on by Wiglesworth in " Aves Polynesiae " p. V., where this noticeable fact is 

 explained as a " remarkable preventative of a too rapid multiplication." 



3. Tephras ruki Hart. {Bull. B.O. Club v. VII. p. ."), October 1807). 



Entirely sepia-brown, a shade darker on the crown, the outer edges of the 

 inner webs of the remiges and the under wiug-coverts paler, the former inclining 

 to whitish ; the primaries darker, almost black, their outer webs bordered with 

 the colour of the back. No complete white ring, bnt a narrow semi-ring round 

 the eye, only visible in well-skinned specimens. Bill black, legs and feet light 

 orange-rufous ; claws brown, iris poppy-red. Total length about 135 — 148 mm. ; 

 wing 78 — 83, tail o2 — 53, bill 15—17, culmen from forehead 21, metatarsus 21. 

 The sexes do not seem to differ, unless ih.e female is a little smaller than the male. 



The native name is " Nikildon." 



Only eight specimens were obtained in November and December. It is most 

 peculiar that the late J. Kubary, who was an excellent collector, and who spent 

 more than fourteen months on link, did not obtain this bird. It is probably not 

 numerous, and occurs only on a certain secluded spot not visited by Kubary. 



I have provisionally accepted Hartlanb's generic term Tephras, because I think 

 this group may with advantage be separated from the host of Zosterops. 



T. Jinschi, the type of Tephras, and T. ruki agree and differ from typical 

 Zosterops in the following characters : — the first primary, which in typical 

 Zosterops is quite reduced and not visible from below, is well developed and 

 visible from below (7 mm. in T. Jin.ichi, 10 — 11 in T. ruki), the bill is longer, 

 the feet (especially in T. ruki) very strong, the colouration almost uniform brown. 

 I do not know if Zosterops cinerea and Z. poiuipensis belong to this same group, 

 bnt I doubt it, because (judging from the figures) they have the typical Zosteropine 

 bill, although in the style of colouration they are like Tephras. 



T. Jinschi differs from T. ruki in its much smaller size and lighter under- 

 surface. 



4. Acrocephalus (Tatare of many authors') syrinx (Kittl.). 

 (Wiglesworth No. 209, p. 41). 



We have received a large number of specimens. Females do not differ from 

 males, except in being slightly smaller : wings of males average 80 — 81 mm., of 

 females 76 — 77 mm. Young birds do not differ from adults, except in being 

 somewhat lighter and more yellowish. In November, especially in the latter 

 half of this month, a good many were in moult. " Iris mars-brown (Ridgway 

 III. 13) ; upper bill brownish slate-colour, lower cream-colour. Legs and toes 

 dark grey. Length in the flesh about 6-7 inches." 



Many nests, most of them containing one fresh egg, some two, were found 

 from the end of May to the beginning of July. They stand on bread-fruit, 

 cocoanut-palm, and ivory-palm trees, and in bushes, in a lieight from about 

 7 to 20 feet. The nests are strongly woven together and constructed of dry 

 grass, fibres of cocoannt palms and other fibres, dry leaves and similar material. 



