PLOCEIISLE. 259 



ate, even, forked in most ; tarsus moderate or short ; feet suited 

 both for perching and terrestrial habits ; of small size. 



SUB-FAMILY, Ploceinse. 



Bill strong, conic, slightly lengthened; the culmen arched, 

 and the ridge continued back upon the forehead ; wings some- 

 what rounded, first primary very minute ; tail short in most ; legs 

 and toes very strong and robust, the latter lengthened, specially 

 the hind-toe, and the claws well developed. 



GENUS, Ploceus, Cuv. 



Bill thick at the base, laterally compressed, pointed at the tip ; 

 culmen smooth, broad, rounded, and produced backwards on the 

 forehead to a point ; commissure nearly straight ; nostrils basal, 

 partly concealed ; wings moderate or somewhat short, with the 

 first quill small, about one-third of the next four or five, second a 

 little shorter than the third, which is usually longest ; tail short, 

 even, or very slightly rounded ; feet large ; hind-toe and claw 

 strong, all the claws lengthened. 



Ploceus philippinus, Lin. 



694. P. baya, Blyth. Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 343 ; 

 Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 495 ; Deccan, Stray 

 Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 415 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, 

 p. 180 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India; Ibis, 1885, p. 128. 



THE COMMON WEAVER-BIKD. 



Length, 6 ; expanse, 9'5 ; wing, 2'8 ; tail, T9 ; tarsus, 0'8 ; bill 

 at front, 0'6. 



Bill from pale horny-brown to black ; irides dusky-brown ; legs 

 brownish-fleshy. 



Old males, in breeding plumage, have the crown of the head 

 bright yellow, the rest of the upper plumage with the wings 

 and tail dull brown, edged with pale fulvous-brown, some of the 

 feathers in the middle of the back edged yellow ; rump and 

 upper tail-coverts pale rufous-brown ; primaries with a narrow 

 edging of pale-yellow ; lores, ear-coverts, chin and throat, blackish- 

 brown ; breast bright yellow ; belly and lower tail-coverts dull 

 white ; the flanks, under wing-eoverts, and thigh-coverts, pale 

 rusty or buff. 



Young males, in the breeding plumage, have the breast pale 

 rusty instead of yellow, and the yellow edging of the inter-scapu- 

 lars is wanting. 



The females and males in winter dress totally want the yellow 

 head, the crown being brown with dark streaks, have pale-rufous 

 supercilia, and the chin and throat are whitish. 



The Common Weaver-Bird is generally distributed through- 

 out our limits, but is more abundant in well- wooded districts. It 

 is a permanent resident, breeding towards the end of the rains. 



