Sab/cub.
ZOSTEROPS BRUNNEICAUDA, Salvad.
Brown-tailed White-eye.
Zosterops rtififrons, Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civic. Genov, vi. p. 79 (18 7 4 ).
Zosterops brunneicauda, Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civic. Genov, xvi. p. 82 (18 8 0 ).—Id . Ora. Papuasia e delle Molucche,
ii. p . 373 (18 8 1 ).—Sharpe, Cat. Birds in Brit. Mus. ix. p. 190 (1884).
T h i s species was also discovered by Dr. Beccari, at Gesser in Ceram Laut, during his expedition to the East
in 1873, and was first named by Count Salvadori Zosterops rufifrons. The describer, however, afterwards
discovered that the red colour on the forehead was due to a blood-stain, and he therefore very wisely
changed the name, as it had become inapplicable to the species. That o f brunneicauda does not strike us as
very appropriate, as many of the allied species appear to have the tail-feathers quite as pale.
Besides being found in Ceram Laut by Dr. Beccari, this White-eye has been met with in the island o f
Choor by the Dutch traveller Von Rosenberg, and was afterwards procured in the island o f Pulo-babi, in
the Aru group, by Beccari. We have also seen specimens collected by Dr. Guillemard in the island of
Sumbawa, one o f the Timor group, which we have been unable to separate from Z . brunneicauda.
The following description is translated from Count Salvadori’s work:—
“ Above yellowish green, conspicuously yellowish ; under surface of body deep yellow, the sides o f the
body greenish ; eye-ring snow-white, surrounded below by dusky black ; quills and tail-feathers brown,
margined with the same colour as the back ; under wing-coverts and inner edge of the quills whitish yellow;
bill dusky, the lower mandible paler at the base; feet apparently lead-colour. Total length 4 7 5 inches,
wing 2*45, tail 1*65, bill 0*5, tarsus O ^ . ”
The figures in the Plate represent an adult bird in two positions; they are drawn from a specimen
presented to the British Museum by the Leiden Museum.
[R. B. S.]