Part 118

Nesting.--Yamashina (1932a:398) records the taking of three nests of the Bridled White-eye at Tinian on January 8, 1932. The nests contained one, two, and three eggs, respectively. The color of the eggs is uniformly pale blue; the nests were situated two to four meters from the ground. Oustalet (1895:207) writes that Marche obtained records of nesting at Saipan in the period from May to July. Of 18 birds taken by Coultas at Tinian in September, 1931, one-half of them had enlarged gonads.

Molt.--Specimens examined that were taken in July, August, September, and October have molting plumage.

Remarks.--Marche obtained the first skins of this white-eye at Saipan; he got 23 specimens in May, June, and July, 1887. The population at Saipan was initially considered similar to that at Guam; it was later given subspecific separation by Dubois. The birds at Tinian exhibit some differences from the birds at Saipan, and it is possible that these two populations should be regarded as subspecifically distinct from one another.

In 1931, Coultas (field notes) found this white-eye common at Saipan and Tinian. He writes "The little fellow has adjusted himself to the gardens and shrubs in the villages. He is a seed eater and makes himself at home now around human habitation. I have seen him climbing over potted plants on the window ledges of dwellings. His cheerful little sibilation uttered continuously while at work or while on the wing makes him friends wherever he goes. He is no longer a bird of the forest as he has none here to go to." Several observers in the late war have published notes on this white-eye. Stott (1947:527) writes that he was reminded of the bush-tit (Psaltriparus) when he observed the behavior of this white-eye; Moran (1946:262) writes that it is "Similar in size and behavior to our vireos." Gleise (1945:220) estimated the population of white-eyes at Tinian at 500 plus in 1945. Downs (1946:104-105) found the birds to be abundant at Tinian; he found them in small flocks in low brush or trees and at edges of open fields as well as elsewhere. He saw a white-eye eating "a large green fuzzy caterpillar."

=Zosterops conspicillata rotensis= Takatsukasa and Yamashina

Bridled White-eye

Zosterops semperi rotensis Takatsukasa and Yamashina, Dobutsu. Zasshi, 43, 1931, p. 486. (Type locality, Rota.)

Zosterops semperi Oustalet (part), Nouv. Arch. Mus. Hist. Nat. Paris, (3), 7, 1895, p. 207 (Rota); Hartert (part), Novit. Zool., 5, 1898, p. 57 (Rota); Finsch (part), Das Tierreich, no. 15, 1901, p. 30 (Rota); Seale (part), Occ. Papers Bernice P. Bishop Mus., 1, 1901, p. 58 (Rota); Dubois (part), Syn. Avium, 1, 1902, p. 710 (Rota); Takatsukasa and Kuroda (part), Tori, 1, 1915, p. 64 (Marianne = Rota).

Zosterops semperi semperi Momiyama (part), Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 23 (Rota); Kuroda, (part) in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 75 (Rota).

Zosterops semperi rotensis Snouckaert, Alauda. (2), 4, 1932, p. 459 (Rota); Yamashina, Tori, 7, 1932, p. 399 (Rota); Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 173 (Rota).

Zosterops conspicillata rotensis Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 193 (Rota); Mayr, Amer. Mus. Novit., no. 1269, 1944, p. 7 (Rota); idem, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 299 (Rota); Baker, Smithson. Misc. Coll., vol. 107, no. 15, 1948, p. 73 (Rota).

Geographic range.--Micronesia: Mariana Islands--Rota.

Characters.--Adult: Upper parts and sides of neck between "warbler green" and "pyrite yellow" becoming lighter on the rump; auriculars light yellowish-green; orbital ring white; fronto-loral band narrowly tinged with yellow; underparts dingy yellow; wing and tail feathers dark with light greenish-yellow edges; upper mandible light brown; lower mandible light yellowish-brown; feet light brown.

Resembles Z. c. conspicillata, but brighter greenish-yellow above; chin and throat yellow like rest of underparts; fronto-loral band tinged with bright yellow; auriculars resemble closely the upper parts in color; narrow orbital ring.

Measurements.--Measurements are listed in table 50.

Specimens examined.--Total number, 5 (3 males, 1 female, 1 unsexed), from Mariana Islands, USNM--Rota (Oct. 18, 20, 22).

Nesting.--Yamashina (1932a:399) records the taking of one nest containing two eggs at Rota on March 7, 1931.

Molt.--Specimens taken in October were in molt.

Remarks.--Oustalet (1895:207) reported on two specimens of white-eye taken at Rota by Marche. He considered them as being similar to the birds at Palau. The birds at Rota were named as a separate subspecies by Takatsukasa and Yamashina in 1931. The NAMRU2 party found the birds to be numerous at Rota in October, 1945.

=Zosterops conspicillata semperi= Hartlaub

Bridled White-eye

Zosterops semperi Hartlaub, in Hartlaub and Finsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1868, p. 117. (Type locality, Pelew Islands.)

Zosterops semperi Hartlaub and Finsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1872, pp. 89, 95 (Pelew); Finsch, Journ. Mus. Godeffroy, 8, 1875, pp. 4, 16, pl. 4, fig. 1 (Palau); Giebel, Thes. Ornith., 3, 1877, p. 777 (Pelew); Nehrkorn, Journ. f. Ornith., 1879, p. 396 (Palau); Finsch (part), Journ. f. Ornith., 1880, p. 286 (Palau); idem (part), Ibis, 1881, p. 111 (Pelew); Schmeltz and Krause (part), Ethnogr. Abth. Mus. Godeffroy, 1881, p. 407 (Palau); Finsch (part), Mitth. Ornith. Ver. Wien, 1884, p. 48 (Palau); Gadow (part), Cat. Birds British Mus., 9, 1884, p. 183 (Pelew); Tristram, Cat. Birds, 1889, p. 212 (Pelew); Wiglesworth (part), Abhandl. und Ber. Zool. Mus. Dresden, no. 6, 1890-1891 (1891), p. 37 (Pelew); Oustalet (part), Nouv. Arch. Mus. Hist. Nat. Paris, (3), 7, 1895, p. 208 (Palaos); Hartert (part), Novit. Zool., 5, 1898, p. 57 (Pelew); Matschie, Journ. f. Ornith., 1901, pp. 112, 113 (Palau); Finsch (part), Das Tierreich, no. 15, 1901, p. 30 (Palau); Seale (part), Occ. Papers Bernice P. Bishop Mus., 1, 1901, p. 58 (Pelew); Dubois (part), Syn. Avium, 1, 1902, p. 710 (Palau); Takatsukasa and Kuroda (part), Tori, 1, 1915, pp. 55, 64 (Pelew).

Zosterops semperi semperi Hartert, Novit. Zool., 7, 1900, p. 2 (Pelew); Momiyama (part), Birds Micronesia, 1922, pp. 22, 23 (Pelew); Kuroda (part), in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 75 (Pelew); Mathews, Syst. Avium Australasianarum, 2, 1930, p. 705 (Pelew); Takatsukasa and Yamashina, Dobutsu. Zasshi, 43, 1931, p. 486 (Pelew); Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 174 (Palau).

Zosterops conspicillata semperi Stresemann, Mitt. Zool. Mus. Berlin, 17, 1931, p. 227 (Palau); Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 193 (Babelthuap, Koror, Peliliu); Mayr, Amer. Mus. Novit., no. 1269, 1944, p. 7 (Palau); Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 299 (Palau); Baker, Smithson. Misc. Coll., vol. 107, no. 15, 1945, p. 73 (Garakayo).

Geographic range.--Micronesia: Palau Islands--Babelthuap, Koror, Garakayo, Peleliu.

Characters.--Adult: Resembles adult of Z. c. rotensis, but fronto-loral band lighter yellow, and coloring is usually not continuous above; auriculars paler; breast and abdomen paler yellow; maxilla and feet darker; mandible whitish. Resembles adult of Z. c. conspicillata, but brighter greenish-yellow above; coloring of chin and throat like that of rest of underparts; auriculars colored like back; fronto-loral band narrowly tinged with bright yellow and not completely connected above; orbital ring narrow; iris grayish-white.

Measurements.--Measurements are listed in table 50.