242 CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE ORNITHOLOGY OF INDIA. 



Davison remarks : — " This pipit occurs both at the Anda- 

 mans and Nicobars, frequenting similar situations. At the 

 Nicobars I observed it only on Camorta Island, where it chiefly 

 frequents the cotton fields, at least those parts of them that 

 are comparatively free from weeds ; it keeps in small parties. 

 I am unable to say whether it is a permanent resident or only 

 a seasonal visitant, but most probably it is only the latter." 



631 ter.— Zosterops nicobariensis, Blyih. 

 J. A. 8., XIV., 563. (14.) 



Blyth was, I think, perhaps, correct in separating the White- 

 eyed Tit of the Andamans and Nicobars, and though he 

 failed to notice the leading characteristic of the species, it must, 

 if distinct, stand under his name. I should thus characterize it ; 

 nearly allied to palpebrosa of India, but with a longer and much 

 broader bill. Upper plumage greener and less yellow. 



When one comes to compare a series of the White-eyed Tits 

 from the Andamans and Nicobars, where the bird is a 

 permanent resident, with another series from various parts of 

 India, it is impossible to avoid noticing the difference in the 

 size of the bills, that of the insular bird being at times nearly 

 double the bulk of the continental one. It is not merely that 

 it usually averages one-third longer, but it is very much 

 broader. The color of the upper surface of the bird too, is some- 

 what different; it is decidedly greener and less yellow, approach- 

 ing in this respect ceylonensis of Holdsworth, and while the bird 

 is no larger than palpebrosa it has a bill all but as large as 

 ceylonensis. This difference in bill and color appears to be 

 fairly constant, we did not notice it in the field, and therefore 

 unfortunately only preserved nine specimens, eight from the 

 Nicobars, but it is absolutely constant in these. Later five 

 more specimens were sent us from the Andamans, and it is 

 these specimens which have made me somewhat doubtful in 

 regard to the validity of this species. Two of the five specimens 

 are similar to those previously obtained, one is scarcely if at 

 all distinguishable from palpebrosa from India, whilst two 

 present the characteristics of nicobariensis, but in a much less 

 strongly marked degree. 



The following are the dimensions of this race or species 

 recorded in the flesh: — 



Length, 4'25 to 4*77; expanse, 6*25 to 6*8 ; wing, 2 to 

 2' 12 ; bill, at front, from edge of frontal feathers, 0*42 to 0*48. 



In palpebrosa the bill similarly measured varies from 033 to 

 04 as a maximum. In the Ceylon bird it seems to average 



