ZOSTEEOPS PALPEBEOSA. 583 



North-west Himalayas, wing 2-1 to 2-25. These data show that the species varies in size somewhat, the largest 

 specimens, as may be expected, inhabiting the Himalayas. A Nicobar-Islands example has the upper surface of a 

 darker green than most Indian ones, and possesses a well-defined pale superloral stripe, with the black of the lores 

 passing under the eye. There are several closely-allied species of this genus ; among them Zosterops simplex, 

 Swinhoe, from China, is not distantly related to Z. palpebrosa; and Z. buxtoni, Nicholson (Ibis, 1879, p. 167), from 

 Java, is a miniature of our bird, the back greener, the tail darker, the black of the lores passing under the eye, 

 and the wings tinged with grey ; throat and under surface as in Z. palpebrosa ; wing 1-9 to 1-95. 



Distribution. — The Common Zosterops, or White-eye, is a very numerous bird in Ceylon, and is more or 

 less scattered over the whole of the low country, ascending likewise into the hilly regions to an altitude of 

 about 3500 feet. In the Western Province and south-west it is particularly numerous, both on the sea- 

 board and in the interior ; but in the northern half of the island it appears to prefer the inland districts, for I 

 always found it less abundant along the north-east coast than in the central forests ; in these latter, however, 

 it is local, and, like most other birds, comes much more into notice in one part than in another. It is common 

 in the woods of the Eastern Province and in the jungles to the south of the Haputale ranges. In the moun- 

 tainous country formed by the Morowak and Kolonna Korales I noticed it chiefly at the borders of forests, 

 and in the Kandyan Province it is partial to the sparsely-timbered patnas in the wide valleys which are drained 

 by the affluents of the Mahawelliganga ; thus in the Pusselawa, Hewahette, Deltota, and other districts, as well 

 as in that of Badulla, it is fairly common. 



On the mainland it has a wide range, being found in various localities throughout the whole of India to 

 the sub-Himalayan regions, and extends thence into Assam, Burmah, and probably to Tenasserim, in which 

 province its presence is doubtfully recorded in ' Stray Feathers ' by Mr. Hume. In the extreme south it is a 

 common bird, being found both at the base and the summit of the Palanis, and also on the tops of the Nilghiri 

 hills, where Jerdon remarks that it exists in great abundance. It therefore ascends to a greater altitude in 

 the peninsula than in Ceylon. It likewise occurs in the Northern Ghats, is common throughout the wooded 

 portions of the Deccan, sparingly distributed in Chota Nagpur, rare in the Sambhur-Lake district, where 

 Adam says he has only once seen it, and further west still is locally diffused, being common at Mount Aboo, 

 but not found in the plains adjacent to it. Mr. Hume writes, " I have never seen it in or from Cutch or 

 Sindh, nor have I specimens from Kattiawar ; but Captain Hayes Lloyd reports it as common there, probably 

 as pertaining to the Girwar region." It is found near Mussoori, and along the slopes of the Himalayas east- 

 ward ; in Pegu it is likewise well known. Its universal distribution throughout the Laccadives is singular. 

 Mr. Hume writes) " The White-eyed Tit is the one resident land-bird of the group ; it occurs in every inhabited 

 island that we touched at." The Andaman and Nicobar islands also come within its range, the representatives 

 of the species there being somewhat different from continental birds, inasmuch as they appear, as a rule, to 

 have longer bills and to be of a somewhat greener shade on the upper surface (the peculiarities of one example 

 are noticed above) . They were originally separated by Blyth as Z. nicobarica ; but Mr. Hume considers 

 that though they might form a variety of tbe true Z. palpebrosa, they cannot well be separated entirely. 



Habits. — This little bird is most sociable in its proclivities, frequenting the leafy boughs and tops of trees 

 in woods and forests," either in large flocks or smaller parties of a dozen or more. It searches about the leaves 

 and blossoms of trees in flower, and feeds on insects, seeds, and buds ; it is restless in its manners, the whole 

 flock moving about in consort and uttering perpetually a plaintive monosyllabic whistle. On windy days it 

 is more on the move than at other times, and its tiny note is heard above the roar of the storm in the forest 

 more plainly than the louder voice of other birds. It is partial to the jack, bread-fruit, " tulip," and other trees 

 growing about native villages ; and in the afternoon, after its appetite has been appeased, little troops of four 

 or five may be seen sitting huddled together on dead branches of, or bare twigs in, those umbrageous trees. 

 At certain times of the year I have seen it in the Suriah-trees in the fort of Colombo, to which it is no doubt 

 attracted when they are in flower. Although this White-eye partakes of insects, its diet is, for the most part, 

 frugivorous, the consequence of which is that it is very destructive to gardens, picking off the buds of fruit- 

 trees, as well as attacking the fruit itself. I have known caged individuals in England feed with avidity on 

 dried figs. 



