182 SPOLIA ZEYLANICA. 



Habits. — A rather gregarious little bii'd, which associates 

 in flocks or small parties, hunting among the leafy boughs 

 of trees, either in forests or gardens. It feeds partly on insects, 

 partly on buds and flowers. The breeding season is mainly 

 from June to August. The nest is a dainty little cup of 

 tendrils, fine grass stalks, and moss woven together with 

 cobwebs, and generally lined with a little vegetable down. 

 It is placed in the slender fork of a small branch about 6 to 20 

 feet from the ground. The two eggs are pale, uniform blue, 

 and are rather pointed at the small end. Average size '62 

 by '46. 



ZOSTEROPS CEYLONENSIS. 



The Ceylon White-eye. 

 Zosterops ceylonensis (Gates, Vol. I., p. 215; Legge, p. 585). 



Description. — Upper plumage and sides of neck dark olive- 

 green, paler on the rump and darker on the crown and fore- 

 head ; wings and tail brown edged with the green of the 

 back ; a ring of white round the eye ; lores and a small 

 streak below the eye blackish ; chin, throat, neck, and upper 

 breast, thighs and tail coverts greenish -yellow ; lower breast, 

 abdomen, and flanks grayish -white, the abdomen at times 

 tinged with yellow ; wing-lining white. 



Bill blackish, base of lower mandible bluish or slaty ; iris 

 variable, generally yeUowish or reddish-brown ; legs and feet 

 bluish or pale leaden. 



Length 4 • 6 ; wing 2*2; tail 1*7; tarsus • 65 ; bill from 

 gape '6. 



Distribution. — Peculiar to Ceylon and confined to the hills 

 down to about 3,000 feet. 



Habits. — -Gregarious like the last species. It is found in 

 little flocks among forest, in trees and bushes on open places 

 near woods, or in leafy gardens. It breeds from March to 

 May. The nest and eggs closely resemble those of the last 

 species. Average size of eggs * 64 by • 45. 



