178 PLOCEID^E. 



Barnes, Birds Bom. p. 261 ; Hume, S. F, xi, p. 270 j Oates in 

 Hume's N. fy E. 2nd ed. ii, p. 120. 



Sarbo baya, Hind, j Shor baya, Kantawala baya, Beng. 



Coloration. Male. After the autumn moult the forehead, crown, 

 and nape are dark brown, each feather narrowly margined with 

 fulvous-brown ; back, scapulars, and all the feathers of the wings 

 dark blackish brown, each feather broadly margined with fulvous ; 

 rump and upper tail-coverts dull fulvous, streaked with pale brown ; 

 tail brown, narrowly margined paler ; a distinct supercilium, widen- 

 ing and becoming paler at the nape, yellow ; a large yellow patch 

 on the side of the neck ; a pale yellow patch under the eye ; re- 

 mainder of side of the head brown ; cheeks, chin, and throat pale 

 yellow ; a narrow moustachial streak black ; fore neck and upper 

 breast black, each feather very broadly margined with fulvous ; 

 remainder of lower plumage fulvous, paler on the abdomen, and 

 the sides of the body narrowly streaked with brown. Soon after 

 the moult the broad fulvous margins on the fore neck and upper 

 breast commence to wear away, and by February and March these 

 parts are almost uniform black. 



After the partial spring moult the forehead and crown become 

 bright golden yellow surrounded by a black band ; the chin and 

 throat become whitish or whity brown, and the entire side of the 

 head and neck become uniform brown ; the other parts of the 

 plumage remain unchanged, except that the pale margins to the 

 feathers of the back and wings get worn away, causing those parts 

 to become very dark and more uniform brown. 



Female. Very similar to the male in winter plumage, but with 

 all the yellow marks on the head paler, and with much less black 

 on the fore neck and upper breast. The pale margins on these 

 parts wear away as in the male, but these parts apparently never 

 become quite so black in the breeding-season as in the male. 



Bill pearly white or pale plumbeous at all seasons and in both 

 sexes ; iris light brown ; legs flesh-colour. 



Length about 5-5; tail 1-8; wing 2'S ; tarsus '8; bill from 

 gape *65. 



Distribution. Occurs sparingly throughout Northern India from 

 Sind to Bengal, and up to the foot of the Himalayas. The Southern 

 limit appears to be a line drawn from Bombay to Bastar, south 

 of which line this species does not appear to have been recorded. 

 Eastwards it occurs throughout Assam, and it is found commonly 

 as far south as Manipur. Blanford records this Weaver-bird from 

 Ava and Thayetmyo, but its occurrence in Burma has not been 

 confirmed. 



Habits, $c. Breeds in the rains. The nest resembles that of 

 P. baya in general shape, but the funnel is very short. The nest 

 is invariably attached to the leaves of elephant-grass, with which 

 it is well incorporated and by which it is more or less supported. 

 The eggs measure about -83 by *58. 



