^6 HoRNJC, New Vaviety of Zosierops. [i-i^Juiy 



darker. The wings are longer and the tarsus shorter than in 

 Z. cccru/esceus, and the bird appears rather sHghter in contour. 



The British Museum Catalogue describes 85 varieties of 

 Zosterops, but the only one approaching it is Z. cinerea, of 

 Kushai and Ualau Islands. It differs, however, in many- 

 respects — notably in the lighter grey upper parts, badly marked 

 eye-ring, brown tail, and yellowish feet. The tarsus, also, is 

 very long. 



The following is a detailed description of the new bird : — 

 General colour above, dark ashy-grey on crown, nape, hind- 

 neck, and back ; upper tail coverts slightly lighter grey ; wing 

 coverts brownish-grey, edged on outer web with lighter grey ; 

 primaries grey, edged on outer web with fine margin of dirty- 

 white, and on inner margin with broader band of the same 

 colour ; quills very dark brown above, but whitish underneath ; 

 forehead slightly darker grey than crown ; lores marked with a 

 black streak, which is continued to encircle the lower half of the 

 eye ; a ring round the eye of silvery-white feathers, very dis- 

 tinct ; ear coverts like the head ; cheeks paler than the head ; 

 chin and fore-neck ashy-grey, of a lighter colour than the back ; 

 breast, abdomen, and under tail coverts of a uniform light grey, 

 somewhat lighter than the neck ; sides of the body and flanks 

 light chestnut ; thighs like the abdomen and under tail coverts ; 

 tail grey, similar to primaries, but not edged on inner web, and 

 edged on outer web with light grey ; upper mandible grey ; 

 lower mandible light grey ; feet slaty-grey ; iris brown. 



Dimensions in inches : — Total length, 4.5 ; wing, 2.7 ; tarsus, 

 .5 ; tail, 1.8 ; culmen, .4. 



I purpose calling this variety Zost crops bon'ue, or the Grey 

 White-eye. 



Stray Feathers. 



Cape Barren Geese. — My friends in Launceston state that 

 it is not an uncommon sight to see these Geese at different 

 spots down the river (Tamar). During a recent visit I had the 

 pleasure ot seeing between 20 and 30 of these fine birds feeding 

 in a stubble field, which was on the fringe of a large reed-bed 

 and morass, near that river. — T. HuRST. Caulfield (Vict.), 



9/5/07- 



* * * 



Stone-Plover in Tasmania. — During a recent (Easter) 

 trip to Tasmania, and whilst taking a drive from Launceston to 

 Rosevear's, I saw fully 30 Stone-Plover feeding contentedly in a 

 stubble paddock. I was not aware that the Stone- Plover was 

 found in Tasmania. — T. HuRST. Caulfield (Vict), 9/5/'o7. 



[The first report of the Stone-Plover having been found in 

 Tasmania is contained in The Proc. Roy. Soc. Tasmania, p. xxii. 



