1875.] THE PHILIPPINE AECHIPELAGO. 373 



Coccothraiistes phil/_p])mensis, Brisson, Orn. iii. p. 232, no. 6, pi. xii. fig. 1, d , pi. xviii. 

 figs. 1, 2, nest (1760). 



Loxia pJdlippina, Linn. S. N. i. p. 305, no. 3G (17G6), ex Brisson; v. Martens, J. f. O. 

 18C6, p. 14. 



Gros-hec des Philippines, D'Aubenton, PI. Enl. 135. fig. 2. 



Le Toucnam-courvi, Buffon, Hist. Nat. Ois. iii. p. 465. 



Loxia maculata, L. S. Miiller, Suppl. p. 150, no. 5C (177G), ex D'Aubent. 



Originally and minutely described by Brisson from examples in M. Aubrey's cabinet, said 

 to have come from the Philippines. Since that date (1760) there is no evidence of any species 

 of Ploccus inhabiting those islands. Camel does not include any members of the genus ; and 

 he would certainly have noticed a bird so remarkable for the conspicuous nest it constructs. 

 Dr. Jerdon (Birds of India, ii. p. 348) states that he is convinced that the figure in D'Aubenton's 

 plate (/. c.) refers to P. hypoxanthus (Daud.*). 



In this opinion I find it impossible to concur. D'Aubenton's figure fairly depicts the 

 common Indian Weaverbird, Ploceus haya, Blyth (J. A. S. B. 1844, p. 945), the belly being 

 represented pure white, while in the so-called P. hi/poivanthus the belly and under tail-coverts 

 are rich golden. According to Bufi'on {I. c), D'Aubenton's figure was taken from a male example 

 of Brisson's Coccothraustes lihiUppinensis, on which Linnteus founded Loxia philippnua. 

 Brisson's description completely agrees with P. haya, Blyth, and cannot apply to P. hypoxanthus 

 of the Indian authors. Moreover Brisson describes and figures the nest of his Weaverbird, and 

 unmistakably represents the pensile nest of P. haya, Blyth, and not the non-pensile nests of the 

 other known Asiatic Weavers P. manyar (Horsf.), P. henrjalcnsis (Linn.), and P. javancnsis 

 (Less.). It is satisfactory to find that Hermann (Observ. Zool. p. 205, 1804) identified an 

 example of a Weaverbird, sent from Tranquebar along with its pensile nest, as Loxia philippina, 

 Linn. ; for he evidently describes a young male of P. haya, Blyth. 



" Toucnam-courvi," the supposed native name in the Philippines, according to Brisson (/. c), 

 does not sound Tagalish, as already remarked by Dr. v. Martens (/. c.) ; while, on the other hand, 

 it closely resembles the Malay name for the common Weaverbird, P. haya, Blyth, in Ceylon, and Tr. Z. S. is. 

 which Mr. Layard (Ann. & Mag. Xat. Hist. xiii. 2nd series, p. 257, no. 158] renders Tokanaiii ^' ^^*^" 

 cooroovi, i. e. Basket-maker bird. 



Therefore, until authentic examples of a Philippine species of Ploceus sufiiciently agreeing 

 with Brisson's original description are obtained, it will be most in accordance with existing 

 evidence to refer the common Indian and Ceylon Weaverbird, P. haya, Blyth, to the Linnseau 

 species Loxia philippina. 



The Ploceus philippinus of Gray's Hand-list, no. 6612, and stated to be from the Philippines 

 only, is not represented in the British Museum. 



* Loxia hypoxantlut, iSparrman, Mus. Carls, fasc. iii. no. 71, " Sumatra" (178S). 



Loxia hypoxaniha, Daudin, Traite d'Ornith. ii. p. 429 (1800), ex Sparrm. 



Above uniform olive-green : forehead and undersurface bright yellow. Evidently not a Plocexts (cf. SundevaU, 

 Kritisk, p. 12, no. 711). The well marked species to which the specific title of hifpoxanthus has been applied by Jerdon, 

 Blyth, and Dr. Pucheran (Eev. Zool. 1854, p. 67), and which is found, in suitable locahtics, throughout Burma, must take 

 the title of Ploccus iuvanensis (Lesson), Traite, p. 446, " Java" (1831). 



3c 



