214 CitATEKOPODlDvE. 



226. Zosterops palpebrosa. The Indian White-eye. 



Sylvia palpebrosa, Temm. PL Col. 293, fig. 3 (1824). 

 Zosterops nicobaricus, Blyth, J. A. S. B. xiv, p. 563 (1845). 

 Zosterops palpebrosus (Temm.}, Blyth, Cat. p. 220 ; Horsf. fy M. Cat. 



i, p. 263 ; Jerd. B. I. ii, p. 265 ; Hume, N. $ E. p. 397 ; Anders. 



Yunnan Exped., Aves, p. 631 ; Ltffffe, Birds Ccyl p. 582 ; Hume, 



Cat. no. 631 ; Scully, S. F. viii, p. 322 ; Damson, S. F. x, p. 398 ; 



Gadmo, Cat. B. M. ix, p. 165 (part.) ; Barnes, Birds Bom. p. 247 ; 



Hume, S. F. xi, p. 253 ; Oates in Hume's N. fy E. 2nd ed. i. p. 140. 

 Zosterops nicobariensis, Blyth, Hume, S. F. ii, p. 242 ; iv, p. 291 j id. 



Cat. no. 631 ter. 



Zosterops palpebrosa nicobariensis, Hume, S. F. iv, p. 291. 

 The White-eyed Tit, Jerd. 



J 



Fig. 03. Head ot 2,. palpebrosa. 



Coloration. The whole upper plumage, wing-coverts, and sides 

 of the head golden yellow ; the chin and throat bright yellow ; 

 breast, abdomen, and flanks greyish while; under tail-coverts 

 yellow ; wings dark brown, edged with greenish yellow ; a ring of 

 feathers round the eye white ; feathers in front and below the eye 

 black ; tail brown, narrowly margined with greenish yellow. 



Bill black ; base of lower mandible bluish grey ; irides yellowish 

 hazel ; feet dark plumbeous ; claws brownish horny (Scully}. 



Length 4'2 ; tail 1/7 ; wing 2-1 ; tarsus *6 ; bill from gape '55. 



Varieties. The race of this species from the Andamans and 

 Nicobars is characterized by a very large bill, and it is difficult 

 to find any bird from the peninsula with the bill equally large. 

 Asa few, however, are found, it is not desirable to separate the 

 insular form. On examining the Burmese Zosterops, procured by 

 myself in Pegu and by others in Tenasserim, I find that they all 

 belong to the closely allied but easily recognizable Z. simplex of 

 China. 



Distribution. Every portion of India from Murree in the Hazara 

 country to Sadiya in Assam, and southwards on the one hand to 

 Ceylon and the Nicobars, and on the other to the neighbourhood of 

 Bhamo in Upper Burma. Anderson's specimens from this latter 

 district are typical Z. palpebrosa. In the Himalayas this species 

 is found up to 7000 feet, and it occurs all over the higher hill- 

 ranges of Southern India. It is stated by Blyth to extend to 

 Arrakan, but at the time he wrote the other closely allied species 

 which inhabit Burma had not been separated, and possibly Blyth 

 was mistaken. 



Habits, tSfc. Breeds, according to locality, from January to Sep- 

 tember, but April appears to be the month in which most nests may 



