ZOSTEROPS MADAGASCARIENSIS. 195 



eight or ten, often keeping company with Eroessa tenella, 

 Newtonia brunneicavda, and sometimes with Cinnyris souimanga; 

 are active and lively, always on the move, assuming all kinds 

 of positions, now flitting from branch to branch, then dipping 

 their little brush-tipped tongues into the chalice of a flower 

 to sip the honey or to feed on the small insects and pollen ; 

 they are also partial to fruit. Their flight is short, rapid and 

 irregular, and consists mostly in flitting and chasing each 

 other, with the constant little cry of " tseri-tseri." They are 

 not shy, and their flesh is delicate eating. The nest, which 

 is generally placed in a low bush, is constructed of grass and 

 fine roots, is small, deeper than wide, and in the form of a 

 purse. The eggs are oval, of a delicate green, and measure 

 - 68 by 052 inch. The Eev. J. Sibree informs us that Z. 

 inadagascariensis " builds a very pretty open nest on the end 

 of some hanging branch. Its eggs are very pale blue." Its 

 Hova or general name is Pariamaso, and the provincial 

 Malagasy names are — Siparomaso, Sias, Ramanjereky, Tsara- 

 maso, and Mangirike. In the British Museum there is a 

 specimen of this species which was obtained by Dr. Coppinger, 

 during the voyage of the Alert, on Gloriosa Island. 



Dr. W. L. Abbott, during his visit to that island from 

 January 18 to 25, 1893, collected four specimens, and remarks: 

 " Is the commonest land-bird upon G-loriosa." Mr. Ridgway, 

 after describing one of these specimens, an adult female, as 

 Zosterops madagascariensis gloriosas, writes : " Having only one 

 specimen of true Z. madagascariensis for comparison, I am 

 not quite satisfied of the propriety of separating the Gloriosa 

 bird, which I do more in deference to Professor Newton's 

 views than from my own convictions. 



" I may remark that the next commonest species of land- 

 bird met with by Dr. Abbott on G-loriosa was Cinnyris 

 souimanga, formerly known only from Madagascar." 



