ZOSTEROPS FICEDULINA. 185 



According to Mr. Jackson, the species is very plentiful in 

 this part of Africa and he " found a nest on the 21st " 

 (February ?) " in the drooping branches of a tree with small 

 leaves. It was suspended between a small fork to which it 

 was woven by the outer edges. Built entirely of grey hard 

 moss, and lined with the finest of fibre. It contained two eggs 

 of a palish blue." He further remarks : " This little bird is 

 the most diligent that it is possible to imagine in its search for 

 caterpillars and other insects, and after the breeding-season, 

 when two or more family parties congregate in a flock, the 

 amount of insects they destroy must be very great. Except 

 towards evening, when they have filled themselves to repletion, 

 they are rarely if ever still, but keep darting about among the 

 foliage of both bushes and the taller trees, twisting and turning 

 their heads in all directions and getting into all sorts of 

 fantastic positions like a Tit, all the time keeping up an 

 incessant chirrup not unlike that of our Goldcrest. As soon 

 as the apparent leader of the flock leaves a tree, perhaps 

 thinking there is little or nothing left worth looking for in 

 the way of food, it darts off to another tree with a chirrup, 

 when it is followed by the rest, one after the other, all of 

 which keep up the same soft little chirrup. These birds will 

 be invaluable when fruit-trees are introduced into the country, 

 and orchards are established." 



Zosterops ficedulina. (Pi. 8, fig. 1.) 



Zosterops ficedulina, Hartl. P. Z. S. 1866, p. 327 Prince's Is. ; Sharpe, 

 Cat. B. M. ix. p. 203 (1884) ; ? Sousa, Jorn. Lisb. 1888, p. 157 

 ? St. Thomas Is. ; Shelley, B. Afr. I. No. 96 (1896). 



Adult. Above, yellowish olive, slightly browner on the crown and 

 yellower on the rump ; edges of the wing and tail-feathers olive like the 

 mantle ; a circle of glossy white feathers round the eye ; ear-coverts ashy 



