Birds of the Philippine Islands. 233 



the fauna of this island is, on the whole, Bornean and not 

 Philippine. The most nearly allied genera to Zosterornis 

 are Dasycrotopha, Chlorocharis , and Cyanoderma ; the two 

 former agree in the shape of the bill and in the structure of 

 the nasal opening, which is a long slit covered by a large 

 membrane. The nasal opening in Cyanoderma, though 

 covered over, is differently constructed. All the species of 

 Zosterornis have the 5th primary slightly longer than the 

 4th and 6th; the 1st short, half the length of the 2nd; the 

 tail composed of twelve feathers, the outer pair being some- 

 what shorter than the middle pair ; and a ring of feathers 

 round the eye, which in some species is white and very 

 conspicuous. 



I give a key to all the known species of the genus : — 



I. Outer tail-feathers not tipped with white. 



A. Uuderparts heavily streaked with black. A 



ring of white feathers round the eye ; upper 



parts dull olive. Wing 2'4 inches Z. striatm. 



B. Underparts not streaked with black. 



a. Forehead and sides of head chestnut, rest 

 of crown grey; a ring of white feathers 

 round the eye ; upper parts olive ; under- 

 parts yellowish. Wing 2*5-2'8 inches . . Z. whiteheadi. 



h. Forehead and crown brown, with pale shaft- 

 stripes ; upper parts olive-brown, with 

 indistinct pale shafts ; throat and chest 

 grey, with white shaft-stripes ; rest of 

 underparts white. Wing 2'1 inches .... Z. pygmcBus. 



c. Head, neck, and breast reddish-brown, with 



white shaft-stripes. Wing 2-2 inches. ... Z. plateni*. 



II. Outer tail-feathers widely tipped with white. 



C. Forehead and crown mostly chestnut, with 



pale shafts ; cheeks and upper parts olive- 

 grey, with well-marked white shaft- 

 streaks ; throat washed with chestnut, 

 rest of underparts whitish. Wing 2*7 

 inches Z. capitalis. 



* I have not examined Zosterornis plateni, which Dr. Blasiua 

 compares with Z. capitalis (Tweedd.) ; it must also be nearly allied to 

 Z. pygmceus. 



