NOTES ON PLOCEUS PHILJPFINTTS. 108 



head and less deep sinuoas groove on the anterior edge of the 

 hammer, also by the length of the hind margin of one side of the 

 hammer being more than its greatest width near the eye, and also 

 by the shape and position of the fins, especially the 2nd dorsal and 

 ventral fins, which are concave behind instead of being straight. 

 It is nearest Z. Mokarran (G-unther Cat. Fish B. M.), but the 

 length of the hind margin of one of the lateral expansions is greater 

 than the width near the eye, instead of being equal as in that species, 

 and the anterior margin of the hammer does not form a right angle 

 with the lateral lobe. 



This makes the third species of Shark lately described from the 

 Kurrachee harbour. The first is Carcharias Murrayi, Gunther, the 

 next, Lamna Giinlheri, Murray, and the present one the third. It 

 is a question now whether these three species extend their range 

 along the Beloochistan and Bombay Coasts. 



NOTES ON PLOCEUS PHILIPPINUS. 

 By Lieut. H. Edwin Barnes. 



Th6 normal number of eggs laid by the Common Weaver Bird 

 has been variously stated by different authors ; some give two as 

 the correct number, others as many as ten. Dr. Jerdon considered 

 two as the usual number, and was of opinion that when six or 

 more were found, they were the produce of two birds ; Mr. Hume, 

 in his Nest and Eggs of Indian Birds, page 438, gives his opinion in 

 no uncertain terms. He says : — " With Dr. Jerdon 1 am perfectly 

 convinced that two is the noi-mal number of the eggs. I have 

 certainly examined over a hundred nests, and never found more 

 than three, and only two or three times more than two." This 

 ought to be conclusive.. Personally I have never found more than 

 seven eggs in a nest, and this once only, five of them were much 

 incubated, and the remaining two quite fresh ; another nest had six, 

 all fresh. With these exceptions, five is the usual number of 

 eggs have met with, but I have also taken nests containing single 

 incubated eggs. This is puzzling, but I believe I have found the key 

 to the mystery; one day, while nesting in Neemuch, Rajpootana, I 

 saw, amongst many others, a remarkably fine nest, which I deter- 

 mined to secure, but as the babool tree, iu which it was, 

 stood well out in a pool of water, it was a matter of some 

 14 



