ZLOSTEROPS LONGIROST R I S, Ramsay.

Heath-Island White-eye.

Zosterops longirostris, Ramsay, Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S. W.
Civic. Genov. xvi. p. 82 (1880).—Id. Orn. P
p. 189 (1884).

 

Mr. Ramsay having brought the type of this interesting White-eye to England, an opportunity was offered

us of figuring it, which we gladly accepted, as the difficulty of determining the species of Zosterops from
descriptions alone is well known to every student of this difficult group. The original specimen of Zosterops
longirostris was discovered by Mr. Kendal Broadbent on Heath Island, off the south coast of New Guinea,
a locality which has not been found by us in any atlas, but which is included by Mr. Ramsay under th
heading of the South Cape District of New Guinea and the Louisiades.

This large species of Zosterops belongs to the brown-tailed section of the yellow-coloured group of the
genus. It is distinguished from Z. uropygialis by having the head of the same colour as the back, and
from Z. brunneicauda by its light brown bill and by the absence of any dusky spot in front of the eye.

The following is a description of the original specimen :—

Adult male (type of species). General colour above dull yellowish olive, a little yellower on the head
and rump, the former with indistinct paler shaft-streaks on the forehead and sinciput ; wing-coverts a little
yellower than the mantle; bastard wing, primary-coverts, and quills dusky brown, externally washed with
dull olive-yellow ; tail-feathers pale brown, with dull olive-yellow edges; lores yellow; round the eye a
ring of whitish feathers ; ear-coverts olive-yellow, a little brighter than the crown; cheeks, throat, and centre
of breast and abdomen clear yellow, deeper and slightly inclining to orange-yellow on the under tail-coverts ;
breast somewhat overshaded with greenish; sides of body and flanks decidedly greenish; thighs yellow ;
under wing-coverts and axillaries pale yellow with whitish bases, brighter on the edge of the Wing 5
quills light brown below, whitish along the edge of the inner web. ‘Total length 4:2 inches, culmen 0:7,
wing 2°5, tail 1°8, tarsus 0°75.

The figures in the accompanying Plate represent the species of the natural size.

[Re Bsa

lil. p. 288 (1879), iv. p. 100 (1879).—Salvad. Ann. Mus.
apuasia, etc. il. p. 372 (188) ).—Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. ix.

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