J76 Lieut. R.E.Vaughan fl«c? Staff-Surg. K. H.Jones 



MUNIA TOPELA. 



These small Weavers are common everywhere in both 

 Provinces^ Ijoth on the river and on the coast. In the winter 

 they congregate in considerable flocks in some parts, but 

 never in Hong Kong. 



At Macao in the Govei'nor's summer garden there are 

 two Monkey Puzzler trees, in which large numbers o£ these 

 birds breeds and where their domestic arrangements are 

 easily watched. The nests are huge for the size of the 

 builders, untidy, oval masses of grass and weeds, having 

 the long axis horizontal, but lined within very carefully 

 Avith fine grasses and possessing a well-made rounded 

 entrance-hole at one end. On one occasion two nests were 

 found, built one on the top of the other, but quite separately, 

 so as to form a sort of two-storied structure. 



It is amusing to see this little bird struggling to wind- 

 ward with a huge piece of grass in its tiny bill, which it 

 drops and picks up twice on its way ; finally it tucks it into 

 the thatch of its house and without delay darts away again 

 in quest of more building-material. 



The usual clutch at Macao is six or seven, and though 

 eight, eleven, and twelve eggs have been found, these are 

 probably the product of two hen-birds. They begin to 

 build late in March, and eggs may be found in April, May, 

 and Jane. In November large numbers were noticed 

 passing south on migration. 



Eggs vary in length from '70 to *58 and in breadth from 

 •46 to '40, and average "62 x •44. 



IJroloncha squamicollis. 



This little Weaver is widely distributed on the West River 

 and on some parts of the Kwang Tung coast, but at Hong 

 Kong and in most parts of the Kouloon Peninsula it is a 

 winter visitor or a spring migrant, and was not known to 

 breed. 



At Canton, Macao, and on the West River however, it is 

 a common breeding-species, and builds its nest in a varietv 



