154 A FIRST LIST OF THE 



695.— Ploceus manyar, Hbrsf, 



Thayetmyo birds appear to be identical with Indian ones ; whether 

 these latter, which Blyth named striatus, are really identical with 

 Javan specimens I cannot say. They seem to be generally so 

 considered at home, and I therefore adopt Horsfield's name. 



Mr. Oates says : " This species is scarcely less common about 

 Thayetmyo than bay a. The following are the measurements of 

 a female shot on 7th December : — 



" Length, 5*4; expanse, 8*3; tail, from vent, 1*85; wing, 

 2*65 j bill, from gape, 0'63; tarsus, - 91. 



" The irides were brown ; the eyelids, grey ; the bill, yellowish 

 horny, darker on the upper mandible; legs, fleshy; claws, pinkish." 



696.— Ploceus bengalensis, Blyth. 



Mr. Blanford states that he obtained this species at Thayetmyo. 

 Four closely-allied species, therefore, of this one genus occur in 

 this single locality. 



696 ter.— Ploceus hypoxanthus, Daud. 



Rangoon and Thayetmyo specimens appear to be identical 

 with the Javan bird which Horsfield called philippimis, but 

 which is, I believe, distinct, and more nearly allied to bay a. The 

 Javan bird, says Mr. Strickland (Journal, Asiatic Society, 

 1844, p. 945), "is bright yellowish above; back, striped with 

 dusky; wings, dusky; each feather, margined whitish; tail, 

 dusky, narrowly tipped with whitish ; beak, shorter than in ben- 

 galensis ; the cheeks and throat, blackish, with a yellow streak 

 dividing that on the lower jaw ; lower parts, deep yellow." 



This brief description appears to agree sufficiently well with our 

 Burmese birds, but these Plocei require, it seems to me, to be 

 carefully overhauled. 



Mr. Oates remarks : " In the Thayetmyo District this spe- 

 cies is not common, although it is occasionally met with, but 

 at Poungday in the Prome District I found it very abundant. 

 The large plains of elephant grass near that town, the first in- 

 dications that you are on the limits of the dry region, seem well 

 adapted to the bird. I saw several dozens in one morning's ride. 

 This was in June, and they were apparently building. I do not 

 know if the male assumes the dull brown plumage in the winter 

 months, but you certainly never see the yellow bird after October. 

 It either changes plumage, or migrates southwards. Later I 

 took the eggs and nest which I have described in Nests and 

 Eggs, Pt. II. I shot a pair at Palow on the 19th September. 

 The male measured — • 



" Length, 5-7 ; expanse, 8-5 ; tail, from vent, 2'1 ; wing, 2*6 ; 

 bill, from gape, 0'6; tarsus, 0-8. 



