neio Species of Zosterops f7'om Madagascar. 235 



carene Islands : e. g. the species of Reunion and of the Pelew 

 Islands^ of Mauritius and Ualau Island, are respectively hard 

 to discriminate. Seeing that a grey Zosterops specifically 

 distinct from all others is found in each of the Mascarenes, 

 in Mauritius, Bourbon, and Seychelles, and an intermediate 

 form in Comoro, it is curious that none has hitherto been 

 observed in Madagascar. 



Some little time ago I purchased a small parcel of bird- 

 skins from Madagascar. Among them was a grey Zosterops. 

 A friend who was with me observed that the parcel must 

 have come by way of Mauritius, since Z. mauritiana was 

 among them. As we had no specimens for comparison in 

 our pockets, I accepted, the criticism, though every other 

 bird was undoubtedly from Madagascar ; but on comparing 

 this specimen with birds from all the other islands, I find it 

 undoubtedly distinct. It has two very marked points of dif- 

 ference. It has no white upper tail-coverts like Z. mauri- 

 tiana and Z. horhonica, agreeing in this with Z, modesta from 

 Seychelles ; but it has not the strong bill of Z. modesta. 

 The second peculiarity is, that it has the bright ring of silvery 

 feathers round the eye very strongly developed, while in all 

 the other grey species, except that of Anjuan, the ring is 

 either grey, instead of Avhite, or is nearly obsolete. The 

 coloration of the head and back is pale grey, intermediate 

 between the hue of the birds of Mauritius and Bourbon 

 and exactly agreeing with Z. cinereus, Kittl., from Kushai, 

 from which, however, it differs in its silver ring round the 

 eye and in its short and feeble bill, which is stouter than 

 in the Mauritius and Bourbon species, but more feeble than 

 in the Seychelles bird. I propose to name it 



Zosterops hovarum, sp. nov. 

 Z. mauritian(B simillima, sed sine uropygio albo, capite et 

 dorso concoloribus, corpore superub cinei*eo, pauilulura 

 intensiore quam in Z. mauritiana, annulo conspicuo 

 plumarum albarum oculos cingente; rostro fortiore et 

 longiore quam in Z. mauritiana. Long. tot. 4 poll., 

 alse 2*2, caudse \7, tars. '7. 



Hab. Madagascar. 



