Reunion White-eye

SCI Name:  Zosterops olivaceus
Protonym:  Certhia olivacea Syst.Nat.ed.12 ed.12 p.185 sP
Taxonomy:  Passeriformes / Zosteropidae / Zosterops
Taxonomy Code:  reuwhe1
Type Locality:  Madagascar [error].
Author:  Linnaeus
Publish Year:  1766
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

ZOSTEROPS
(Zosteropidae; Ϯ Madagascar White-eye Z. maderaspatanus) Gr. ζωστηρ zōstēr, ζωστηρος zōstēros  belt, girdle; ωψ ōps, ωπος ōpos  eye; "Genus. ZOSTEROPS*.   Rostrum mediocre, gracile, arcuatum; mandibula superiore vix emarginata; naribus basalibus, linearibus, longitudinalibus, membrana supra tectis, rictu inermi.  Alæ mediocres; remigibus prima et quinta fere æqualibus, secunda tertia et quarta paulo longioribus, fere æqualibus, primariis secundarias paululum longitudine superantibus.  Pedes subfortes, subelongati; acrotarsiis scutellatis.  Cauda æqualis.  Caput gracile, concinnum; plumulis periopthalmicis subsericeis albis cingulum subprominentem efformantibus.   ...   The true Sylvia, if we select the slenderly-formed Warblers of Europe, such as the Motacillæ hippolais, trochilus, &c. Linn., as the types of the genus, are set apart from almost all the other species by the formation of their wing, in which the first quill-feather is extremely short, in some instances, indeed, almost spurious.  Of the foreign groups of the family we have already observed that the New Holland genera Malurus and Acanthiza come nearest the European type by the same construction of the wing.  The present group essentially differs from it.  The first quill-feather is long, almost equal to the second, which together with the third and fourth,—all of them nearly of a length,—are the longest.  The nares also are linear and longitudinal, thus differing from the oval form of the European type.  In other respects the characters of these two groups have a general accordance.  Besides the disposition of the wing-feathers, we may also mention the scutellation of the tarsi, the even tail, and the unarmed rictus, as additional marks of distinction from the before-mentioned New Holland Sylviadæ.  From the genus Hylophilus of M. Temminck, which has lately been separated with much judgement from the Sylvia of Dr. Latham, and which also has the first quill-feather elongated and nearly even with the rest, our present group may readily be distinguished by a much more gracile and arcuated bill, in which the nares also are of a different construction.  The Motacilla Maderaspatana of Linnæus, (Sylvia Madagascariensis, Lath.), belongs to our group, which seems to have a very wide dispersion.    1. DORSALIS  ...  Sylvia annulosa, var. β.  Swains. Zool. Illust. pl. 16.  ...  Orbitæ plumulis albis vestitæ.   ...   *Zωστηρ cingulum, and ωψ oculus." (Vigors & Horsfield 1826); "Zosterops Vigors and Horsfield, 1826, Trans. Linn. Soc. London, 15, p. 234. Type, by subsequent designation (Lesson, 1828 Man. Orn., 1, p. 286), Motacilla maderaspatana Linnaeus." (Mayr in Peters, 1967, XII, p. 290). The majority of white-eyes have a ring of white feathers around each eye.
Var. Fosterops, Fosterzops, Zostenops.
Synon. Cyclopterops, Luteozosterops, Malacirops, Nesozosterops, Oreosterops, Parinia, Sanfordia, Speirops, Tephras, Woodfordia, Zosteropisylvia.

zosterops
Gr. ζωστηρ zōstēr, ζωςτηρος zōstēros  belt, girdle; ωψ ōps,  ωπος ōpos  eye.

olivaceum / olivaceus
Mod. L. olivaceus  olive-green, olivaceous  < L. oliva  olive.
● ex “Merle olive des grandes Indes” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 564, fig. 1 (syn. Acritillas indica).
● ex “Oliva” of Levaillant 1801, pl. 75 (Chlorophoneus).
● ex “Crimson-breasted Woodpecker” of Latham 1782 (Geocolaptes).
● ex “Troupiale olive de Cayenne” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 606, fig. 2, and “Cayenne Olive Oriole” of Latham 1782 (?syn. Icterus auricapillus).
● ex “White-cheeked Crow” of Latham 1801 (Psophodes).
● ex “Perroquet de l’isle de Luçon” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 287, “Perruche aux ailes chamarées” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Lace-winged Parrakeet” of Latham 1781 (syn. Tanygnathus lucionensis).
● ex "Bruant de S. Domingue" of Brisson 1760 (Tiaris).
● ex “Merle olive du Cap de Bonne Espérance” of Brisson 1760 (Turdus).
● ex “Red-ey’d Fly-catcher” of Catesby 1731, “Muscicapa olivacea” of Edwards 1758, and “Muscicapa jamaicensis” of Brisson 1760 (Vireo).
● ex “Grimpereau olive de Madagascar” of Brisson 1760 (Zosterops).
● ex “Merula olivacea indica” of Brisson 1760 (unident.).