538 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 



Sp. 11. ZOSTEROPS TEPHROPLEURUS, Gould. 



Grey-breasted Zosterops. 

 Zosterops tephropleurus, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc, part xxiii. p. 166. 



Zosterops tepliropleurus, Gould, Birds of Australia, foL, Supple- 

 ment, pi. 



The Grey-breasted Zosterops, the second species sent from 

 Lord Howe's Island by Mr. Macgillivray, rather exceeds in 

 size the well-known Australian Z. dorsalis, and moreover 

 differs in having a much more robust bill and less highly 

 coloured flanks; in other respects the two birds are very 

 similar. 



Head and upper surface bright olive-green, with a wash of 

 grey across the shoulders ; wings and tail slaty-brown, mar- 

 gined with olive-green ; throat dull yellow ; around the eyes 

 a circle of white feathers, below which is a mark of black ; 

 under surface pale vinaceous-brown, becoming gradually 

 paler on the lower part of the abdomen, and passing into the 

 pale yellow of the under tail-coverts. 



Total length 4f inches ; bill f ; wing 2f ; tail 2-g- ; tarsi f . 



Among the many pleasing recollections connected with my 

 explorations in Australia, none are more grateful than those 

 pertaining to this little group of birds, whose pretty cup- 

 shaped nests and spotless blue eggs remind one of those of 

 our own Hedge Accentor. 



Tamily PSITTACID^. 



Genus STRIGOPS, G. R. Gray. 



I question if any country is tenanted by so many extra- 

 ordinary and anomalous ornithological forms as New Zealand. 

 The singular forms there found may be regarded as a set-ofF 

 to the almost entire absence of Mammals. Among the birds 

 the Stri^ops will ever be regarded with interest ; and it is to 

 be regretted that so curious a bird should be nearly extinct. 



