5 68 PASSERIFORMES : ZOSTEROPIDAE chap. 



among the branches. The eggs, two, three, or rarely four in number, 

 are buffish-white, sahnon-coloured or, exceptionally, olive, with 

 spots, freckles, zones, and occasionally lines, of red-brown, rufous, 

 bright red, blackish and grey. Two or three broods are reared 

 annually. Entomyza cyanotis, the Blue-eye, re-lines deserted 

 birds' nests, or utilizes the top of that of Pomatostomus ; 

 GlycypMla modesta and G. fasciafa make hanging domed fabrics. 

 The mimicry between Philemon — called Priar-bird, Monk, .or 

 Leather-head, from the bare head 'and ruff of some species — and 

 Mimeta has been already noticed (p. 5 4 3 j. Cloaks are fashioned from 

 the Stitch-bird's feathers, as well as from those of the 0-os (p. 564).^ 



Fam. XXVn. Zosteropidae. — The " White-eyes," so denomi- 

 nated from the white ring usually surrounding the eye, form a single 

 genus, Zostero2JS, of doubtful position. They range through parts 

 of the Ethiopian Eegion, with Madagascar and the Comoros, and 

 occupy most of the Indian and Australian Eegions, whence they 

 reach to Amur-land and Japan. The straight or slightly curved bill 

 has the maxilla serrated and nearly always notched ; the metatarsus 

 is of medium length ; the outer and middle toes are partially united ; 

 the wings are rather short with little or no exterior primary ; 

 the tail is moderate, broad and squEire, or even emarginated. Dr. 

 Gadow ^ pronounces the protractile tongue to be forked and smooth 

 in Z. lateralis ; Mr. Beddard ^ finds the margins folded, and the 

 tip frayed out in Z. simplex and Z. japonica. The sexes are alike, 

 the coloration being principally olive and yellow, relieved by 

 brown, grey, fawn, or white. The habits are similar to those of 

 the ileliphagidae ; the eggs, howe^'er, are pale blue. Z. caeru- 

 lescens, the JSTew Zealand " Blight-bird," destroys the " American 

 Blight " {Schieoneura lanigera), an Aphid. 



Fam. XXYIII. Nectariniidae. — The Old World Sun-birds, re- 

 calling the non-Passerine Humming-birds by their brilliant metallic 

 coloration, are actually given the latter name in India, whence they 

 extend through Southern Asia to Papuasia and North Australia. 

 They also occupy the whole Ethiopian Eegion, while Cinnyris osea 

 inhabits Palestine, 0. hrevirostris Baluchistan and South Persia, 

 and an undetermined species the Muskat district in Arabia. 

 Promerops is a doubtful member of the Family.* 



' Cf. Buller, Birds of New Zealand, 2nd ed. i. 1888, ji. 104 ; Wilson and Evans, 

 Aves Haioaiienses, pt. i. 1890, p. 3. ^ P.Z.S. 1883, p. 63. ^ /j,-j^ jggj^ p^ 510-512. 

 ■• Shelley, Mojioc/ixqih of the Nectariniidae, London, 1880, p. xiii. 



