114 PLOCEID^;. 



719. Tharrhaleus jerdoni (Brooks). 

 Accentor jerdoni, Brooks, Hume, Rough Draft N. fy E. no. 654 bis. 



Mr. Brooks obtained a nest and eggs of this species on the 6th 

 June at Sonamerg in Cashmere. 



He says : " Captain Cock says that Accentor jerdoni is ' common 

 at Sonarnerg in Cashmere. It makes a neat cup nest in the lower 

 boughs of some pine tree in June, and lays four beautiful blue 



" ' The nest is a deep cup, constructed of grass, pine-needles, 

 and roots, and is placed on the upper surface of one of the lower 

 boughs of the pine. The eggs are rather long ovals and sky-blue.' " 



Colonel Biddulph remarks : " Common in the summer at Gilgit 

 at elevations of 10,000 feet and upwards, where it breeds." 



The eggs are very regular, somewhat elongated ovals, some only 

 slightly pointed towards the lesser end, others a good deal com- 

 pressed there. 



They are of a rather more elongated form than those of Thar- 

 rhaleus modularis^ but are of similar shape to the figure of 

 Accentor alpinus in Hewitson's work ; the texture is smooth. The 

 egg is without spots and of a pure bluish green, the same tint as 

 is exhibited in the illustration of the Accentor's eggs in the above 

 work. There is no gloss upon the egg. 



Seven eggs varied from 0*72 to 0*77 inch in length, and from 

 0-53 to 0-57 in breadth. 



Family PLOCEIDJE. 



Subfamily PLOCEIIsUE. 



720. Ploceus baya, Blyth. The Baya. 



Ploceus baya, BL, Jerd. B. Ind. ii, p. 343 (part.); Huine, Rouyh 

 Draft N. $ E. no. 694 (part.). 



So much has been written about the nidification of the Baya, 

 that I need scarcely add to the existing literature of the subject. 

 1 will first quote Dr. Jerdon's most admirable account *. 



Dr. Jerdon says : " The Baya breeds during the rains, according 

 to locality, from April to September, but I am not aware if they 

 have more than one brood. Its long retort-shaped nest is familiar to 



* Dr. Jerdon's account really refers to two distinct species, P. baya and 

 P. mcgarhynchus, which were at one time confounded together; but the nesting- 

 habits of these two species do not appear to differ in any respect except perhaps 

 in the situation of the nest, the Burmese bird frequently selecting the eaves 

 of houses, whereas P. baya apparently never does this. ED. 



