ZOSTEROPID53 ZOSTEROPS 299 



the Meliphagida. The numerous species may be included in a 

 single genus. 



Genus I. ZOSTEROPS. 



Type. 

 Zosterops, Vigors and Horsf., Trans. Linn. Soc. 



xv, p. 235 (1827) Z. caerulescens. 



Bill about half the length of the head, slightly curved or nearly 

 straight, moderately slender and pointed, the upper mandible 

 generally notched, otherwise the edges of both mandibles smooth 

 in the majority of the species, including the South African, but in 

 others the upper mandible is said to be serrated (Evans, " Cambridge 

 Natural History," Birds, p. 568). The nostrils are pierced in a 

 large membrane in a broad groove. The tongue is protractile and 

 bifid, in some of the species smooth, in others with the tips frayed 

 out, " brush-tipped," and with the margins infolded. The wing 

 has ten primaries, but the outermost is so minute that it is seen 

 with difficulty, and, as pointed out by Mr. Gates, is generally found 

 over instead of under the second primary ; the second primary long, 

 the third, fourth and fifth the longest. The tail is short, about two- 

 thirds the length of the wing, square or slightly emarginated ; the 

 tarsus is moderately long ; the outer and middle toes are united at the 

 base. The plumage is never metallic nor streaked nor spotted, but 

 is, in almost all the species, of some shade of green, olive, yellow or 

 grey. 



Nearly one hundred species of " White - eyes " have been 

 described, distributed over the Ethiopian, Oriental and Australasian 

 Eegions. Two species occur in New Zealand, where they are 

 known as "Blight-birds" from their feeding on one of the scale- 

 insects, others range as far east and north as China, Japan and 

 Amoor Land. Thirty species occur in Africa, including Madagas- 

 car and the Comoro Islands, but only four range to the south of the 

 Zambesi Eiver. In their actions when feeding and in many of their 

 habits the " White-eyes " resemble the Tits, still more closely some 

 of the American Mniotiltida. When not nesting they invariably 

 hunt in small parties and keep up a constant twittering as they 

 actively climb about bushes and trees, and carefully search the 

 leaves and flowers for small insects and saccharine juices. At 

 certain seasons they feed to some extent on soft fruit, but their 

 principal food at all times consists of various scale-insects. All the 

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