568 PASSERIFORMES : ZOSTEROPIDAE CHAP. 
among the branches. The eggs, two, three, or rarely four in number, 
are buffish-white, salmon-coloured or, exceptionally, olive, with 
spots, freckles, zones, and occasionally lines, of red-brown, rufous, 
bright red, blackish and grey. Two or three broods are reared 
annually. Hntomyza cyanotis, the Blue-eye, re-lines deserted 
birds’ nests, or utilizes the top of that of Pomatostomus ; 
Glycyphila modesta and G. fasciata make hanging domed fabrics. 
The mimicry between Philemon—called Friar-bird, Monk, or 
Leather-head, from the bare head and ruff of some species—and 
Mimeta has been already noticed (p. 543). Cloaks are fashioned from 
the Stitch-bird’s feathers, as well as from those of the O-os (p. 564).! 
Fam. XXVIT. Zosteropidae.—The “ White-eyes,” so denomi- 
nated from the white ring usually surrounding the eye, form a single 
genus, Zosterops, of doubtful position. They range through parts 
of the Ethiopian Region, with Madagascar and the Comoros, and 
oecupy most of the Indian and Australian Regions, whence they 
reach to Amur-land and Japan. The straight or slightly curved bill 
has the maxilla serrated and nearly always notched ; the metatarsus 
is of medium length ; the outer and middle toes are partially united ; 
the wings are rather short with little or no exterior primary ; 
the tail is moderate, broad and square, or even emarginated. Dr. 
Gadow* pronounces the protractile tongue to be forked and smooth 
in Z lateralis ; My. Beddard® finds the margins folded, and the 
tip frayed out in Z simplex and Z. japonica. The sexes are alike, 
the coloration being principally olive and yellow, relieved by 
brown, grey, fawn, or white. The habits are similar to those of 
the Meliphagidae; the eggs, however, are pale blue. Z. caeru- 
lescens, the New Zealand “ Blight-bird,” destroys the “ American 
Blight ” (Schizoneura lanigera), a-seale=insect, o/)+ 
Fam. XXVIII. Nectariniidae.—The Old World Sun-birds, re- 
calling the non-Passerine Humming-birds by their brilliant metallic 
coloration, are actually given the latter name in India, whence they 
extend through Southern Asia to Papuasia and North Australia. 
They also occupy the whole Ethiopian Region, while Cinnyris osea 
inhabits Palestine, C. brevirostris Baluchistan and South Persia. 
and an undetermined species the Muskat district in Arabia. 
Promerops is a doubtful member of the Family.* 
1 Cf. Buller, Birds of New Zealand, 2nd ed. i. 1888, p- 104; Wilson and Evans, 
Aves Hawatienses, pt.i. 1890, p.3. ? P.Z.S. 1883, p.63. % Tbis, 1891, p. 510-512. 
* Shelley, Monograph of the Nectariniidac, London, 1880, p. xiii. 
