364 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA 



are not related to that family. The note is single, sharp and 

 rather piercing. The nests are composed of soft grass, fur and 

 feathers, and are placed far down hollow branches or stumps. 

 The eggs, 3 in the clutch, are flesh or salmon coloured, blotched 

 all over with reddish-brown; dimensions about .9 x .7 inch. 



Family Zosteropidce. 

 Bill shorter than or as long as the rest of the head. Above 

 olive-green and yellow are the principal colours, below whitish 

 washed with fawn colour and grey. A conspicuous ring of 

 small white feathers surrounds the eye in most species. Sexes 

 nearly alike in plumage. Small birds, from four to six inches 

 in total length. Africa south of the Sahara, India, Burmah, 

 China and Japan, Indo-Malaysia, Papua, Pacific Islands, 

 Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand and the Chatham Islands. 

 The genus Zosterops has the characters of the family. 



Key to the Species. 



A. Upper and under surfaces parti-coloured. 



1. Throat white or with a tinge of olive, not yellow. 



Smaller, 4.6 inches, wing 2.5. Mantle bluish-grey, 

 flanks chestnut. Tasmania, South Australia, 

 and all the Eastern States, New Zealand, and 

 Chatham Islands. The White-eye, Z. cserulescens. 



Yellow-vented White-eye, Z. vegeta. — Nortli-east Queensland. Very 

 similar to Z. ccerulescens, but has lighter flanks, and the under tail- 

 coverts and vent bright yellow like the throat. Length 4.2 inches, 

 wing 2.2, tail 1.7. 



2. Throat yellow, mantle grey. Kangaroo Island Wliite-eye. 



Z. halmaturina (Kangaroo Island, S.A.) has greyish back and flanks 

 and yellow throat. Wing 2.25 inches, tarsus .7. 



B. Upper surface nearly uniform; under -surf ace parti-coloured. 



a. Bright olive-green above ; sides of body pale chestnut ; 



a small loral streak of yellow. Cheeks pale olive- 

 yellow; throat bright yellow; fore neck and chest 

 grey; breast ashy; abdomen whitish. 4.3 inches. 

 Western Australia. The Green-backed White-eye, Z. gouldi. 



b. Very pale olive-yellow above; sides of body ashy; 



a bright loral mark. Cheeks, throat and fore neck 

 bright yellow; rest of under surface pale ashy; 

 white in centre of breast and abdomen. 4.6 

 inches. Central 'Australia, North Queensland, and 

 Islands of Torres Strait. The Pale-bellied White-eye, Z. albiventris. 



