484 Birds of Celebes: Zosteropidae. 



ing and peculiar forms, not to be found on the coast, and the work of ex- 

 jjloring these hills does not yet appear to be even half done. 



FAMILY ZOSTEROPIDAE. 



It appears best to make a family of the great geniis of the White-eyes, 

 Zosterops, some 125 species of small birds which have been placed by Gadow 

 among the Meliphagidae as a subfamily, by Oates among the Craterojjodidae, by 

 others (fide Newton) among the Paridae, and by others with the Nectariniidae, 

 which is enough to show how uncertain their affinities are. One of Mr. Everett's 

 recent discoveries in Celebes, Zusterops squamiceps (Hart.), looks as if it has 

 affinities with the, Meliphagidae. Yuhina among the Crateropodidae, and Anthreptes 

 among the Nectariniidae also call for comparison. 



The Zosteropidae have only nine primaries, or a very minute tenth. The 

 miiscles of the tongue resemble those of Nectarinia, with some ditferences; the 

 tongue itself ends in two short filaments, and has not a brush-tip (Gadow, 

 P. Z. S. 1883, 63, 68). A striking characteristic in almost all the species is a 

 ring of minute white feathers round the eye — whence the name, White-eye. 

 Olive, yellow, and grey are the chief colours; red and blue are not found. 



Zosterops, separated as a family by Sharp e, is widely distributed in Africa 

 south of the Sahara, Asia south of the Himalayas and Amoor, the islands of the 

 Indian Ocean, the East Indies to Australia, the western islands of the Pacific, 

 south to New Zealand and the Chatham Islands. These birds have almost 

 certainly spread their range by flight, a case of which has taken place within the 

 memory of man Buljler, B. N. Zeal. 2"^ ed. 1888, I, pp. 79—81). 



There seems to be no explanation but that of distribution by flight for the 

 presence of closely allied forms in, for instance. North Celebes and Liberia, 

 or on many islands of Polynesia, which are of volcanic or coral origin, and 

 where animals which cannot fly or otherwise make sea-voyages, such as the 

 larger mammals, are unknown. 



GENUS ZOSTEROPS Vig. Horsf. 



Culmen about as long as the head, or less, slightly decurved, keel of lower 

 mandible approximately straight; nostril linear, with an opercuhxm basally 

 feathered; a periocular ring of minute white feathers usually present; tail square, 

 shorter than wing; first primary very minute or wanting, the next as long as 

 the secondaries or longer, tip of wing formed by the next four feathers: tarsus 

 longer than middle toe and claw; 4"^ toe united with S"" to the first joint of 

 the latter. See, also, supra, Zosteropidae. 



