4G8 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XV. 



the wind having such power over them. The nests are usually placed 

 in clusters, ten or twenty being sometimes seen on one tree. The eggs 

 are dead white, rather pointed. The breeding season is May — August. 

 The average is bX •«."— T. F. B. 



(103) Ploceus manyae. — The Striated Weaver-bird, 

 Oates, No. 723 ; Jerdon, No. 695. 

 This bird like the hist is confined to the plains where it is not 

 uncommon. Mr. T. F. Bounlillon writes: — ;> I found the Striated 

 Weaver-bird building in the Vellanie Lake (six miles from Trivandrum) 

 in June. It buiids a hanging nest from the reeds which grow in the 

 water. I was, however, too early for the eggs, and though I sent 

 another year purposely to obtain the eggs of this bird, of Ardea 

 purpurea, and of Porpliyrio p>oliocephalus> which were all building 

 there in 1876, for some reason the reeds had all disappeared and 

 there were no nests. The nest is considerably smaller than that of 

 Ploceus baya and made of coarser materials. The eggs are 2 — 3 in 

 number. 



Sub-family Viduince. 

 (104) Munia Malacca.— The Black-headed Munia. 

 Oates, No, 725 ; Jerdon, No. 697. 

 The Black-headed Munia is only found in the low country, where 

 flocks of them may often ha met with, especially about the backwaters. 

 Breeds from May to August. 



(105) Uroloncha striata. — The White-backed Munia. 



Oates, No. 728 ; Jerdon, No. 701. 

 This munia occurs more commonly than the former and sometimes 

 ascends the hills in the south to 2,500 feet, where it prefers secondary 

 jungle. It is found at the foot of the hills also, and generally 

 frequents the interior rather than the backwaters near the coast. 

 Breeds from May to August. 



(106) Uroloncha pectoralis. — The Rufous-bellied Munia. 



Oates, No. 732 ; Jerdon No. 700. 

 This is decidedly t lie hill munia. It is common throughout tho 

 Range. Mr. T. F. Bourdillon describes the nest as " a rough domed 

 one of fine grass with a few feathers inside, in which the bird lays six 

 to eight pure white eggs without gloss. The nest is usually placed in a 

 hole in a tree and is sometimes built among long grass at a height of 3 

 or 4 feet from the ground. The nesting season extends from -Tune to 



