Family —Z OSTEROPID/E. 
Genus —Z OSTEROPS. 
Zosterops Vigors and Horsfield, 
Trans. Linn. Soc. (Lond.), 
Vol. XV., p. 234, Feb. 17th, 
1827. Type (by monotypy) Zosterops dorsalis Vigors and Horsfield. 
Luteozosterops Mathews, Austral 
Av. Rec., Vol. V., pts. 2-3, 
p. 36, Feb. 21st, 1923. 
Type (by original designa¬ 
tion) .. .. .. .. Zosterops albiventris cairncrossi Mathews. 
This group, which has an extensive range through Africa, South Asia, Australia 
and the Pacific Islands, has been given Family Rank since Sharpe wrote: 
“ An examination of the tongue of Zosterops shows that it resembles that of a 
Tit and has no similarity to the * brush ’ tongue of the Honeysucker.” For 
the present, although it has a brush tongue, I am inclined to keep the White- 
eyes as a separate family. Sharpe did not give the name of the species he 
examined, and this statement has been accepted since without criticism, though 
many years before, Blyth, a very accurate and reliable ornithologist, had 
published the fact that the Zosterops from Mauritius had a brush tongue, and 
after that the Indian Zosterops (nicobaricus and curvirostris) had brush tongues, 
as also other Indian genera (i.e., Yuhina) had brush tongues. Australian orni¬ 
thologists have long been familiar with the fact that their Zosterops had brush 
tongues, several correspondents having sent me specimens, so that now the 
problem appears to be to find a Zosterops without a brush tongue. It has been 
noted in African, Asian and Australian species, so it is difficult to suggest where 
to look. 
Nevertheless, the family should be retained as it is a compact, well- 
defined group with a wido distribution, while the Melithreptidae, the Australian 
Honey-eaters, with which it only could be merged, comprises many varied 
elements and is obviously heterogeneous ; the brush tongue being a character 
of little value in comparison with many other factors that are present in the 
group. 
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