ZOSTEROPID3J ZOSTEROPS. 301 



Habits. Andersson writes, "It was only as I approached the 

 Okavango that I became aware of its existence. In the thornless 

 forests bordering upon this stream it is not uncommon, but it 

 migrates northwards during the dry season. It is found in small 

 flocks, and diligently explores in search of insects the branches of 

 the smaller trees, and especially the buds and flowers, suspending 

 itself in a variety of positions while it is thus employed." 



174. Zosterops virens. Green White-eye. 



Zosterops virens, Bp. Conspectus, i, p. 399 (1850) ; Layard, B. S. Afr. 

 p. 110 (1867); Sharpe, ed. Layard' s B. S. Afr. p. 325 (1884); id. 

 Cat. B. M. ix, p. 182 (1884) ; Holub and Pelzeln, Orn. Sildafr. p. 

 75 (1882) ; Shelley, B. Afr. i, p. 7 (1896). 



Description. Adult male. Above, crown, back, rump and wing- 

 coverts, grass-green, tinged with yellow on the upper tail-coverts ; 

 primary - coverts, quills and tail - feathers dusky-brown edged with 

 green externally ; lores black ; eye-ring silvery white ; forehead, 

 front cheeks and under surface of body bright yellow, the sides and 

 flanks greenish ; axillaries bright yellow ; under wing - coverts 

 yellowish- white. 



Iris pale tawny ; bill grey, tbe tip black ; legs and feet grey. 



Length 4-80 ; wing 2-45 ; tail 2-00 ; tarsus 0-72 ; culmen 0-45. 



Adult female. Bather smaller and somewhat duller in colour. 



Distribution. Eastern Cape Colony, Natal, Zululand and the 

 Transvaal, ranging into Swaziland, Mosambique, Matabili and 

 Mashonalands and extending across the Zambesi Kiver into Nyasa- 

 land. Very common in the Bustenburg and Lydenburg districts of 

 the Transvaal. 



Habits. In its habits the Green White-eye does not differ ma- 

 terially from the commoner Cape species. It frequents brushwood 

 on the slopes of hills, the undergrowth of forests, and the thickets 

 on the banks of streams. Its call-note resembles that of Z. capensis, 

 but is perhaps not quite so loud. Like the latter species it feeds on 

 insects, nectar, and small soft fruits. It builds a similar nest and 

 lays four pale blue (Ayres says white) unspotted eggs, measuring 

 0-64 x 0-48. 



