406 EECENTLY-D ESCRIBED SPECIES. 



dingy yellowish white ; the rest of the lower parts more decidedly 

 tinged with pale dingy rufescent brown, the tarsal plumes 

 being very rufous ; the wing- lining nearly pure white, slightly 

 tinged yellowish towards the edge of the wing. — Ibis, 1871, 

 p. 31. 



Ploceus megarhynchus, Hume, (vide also Ibis, 1869, 

 p. 356, and S. E., Vol. III., p. 153-155.) 



With regard to this supposed species M. Verreaux remarks : 

 - 1 cannot but consider this identical with P. flaviceps, Cuv. nee 

 Sw., a bird very common, and varying a good deal in length 

 and size of bill." Dr. Jerdon and myself compared a couple 

 of birds of this supposed new species with specimens of P. baya, 

 manyar, and bengalensis. It certainly does not pertain to either 

 of the three species known as such in India ; but this by no 

 means settles the question. The synonymy of this group 

 requires elucidation. Blyth identifies P. manyar, Horsf., with 

 striatus, Blyth, and flaviceps, Sw ; but Bonaparte, whom 

 Verreaux follows, identifies manyar with hypoxanthus, and 

 striatus with flaviceps, Cuv. It is therefore possible that the 

 species described by Jerdon as P. manyar, Horsf., may be 

 hypoxanthus, Daud ; but this seems very unlikely, as Mr. Blyth 

 was well acquainted with this species. Or, again, Bonaparte 

 may be wrong in uniting striatus, Blyth, with P. flaviceps, Cuv., 

 in which case my supposed new species may be the true P. 

 flaviceps. Under any circumstances this bird is new to our 

 Indian Avifauna, and is quite distinct from either of the three 

 species described by Dr. Jerdon under Nos. 694, 695, and 696, 

 Vol. II., p. 343, et seq. 



Dimensions. — Length, 6*2 ; wing, 2 - 95 ; tail, 23 ; bill at front, 

 07, from gape 0'84 ; height at front, 0*24; tarsus, 0'96 ; mid 

 toe and claw, 1*0 ; hind toe and claw, 0*78. 



Description. — Legs, feet, and claws fleshy brown ; bill pinkish 

 brown, whitish on lower surface of under mandible. Plumage 

 (winter plumage) — Lores rufescent ; head, cheeks, ear-coverts, 

 and nape slightly rufous olivaceous brown ; the feathers of the 

 forehead, and crown with ill-defined central dark-brown streaks, 

 and traces of the same on the feathers of the nape ; upper 

 back and scapulars somewhat paler and less rufous brown, 

 broadly and conspicuously centred with dark hair brown ; low- 

 er back and rump the same pale slightly rufous olivaceous brown, 

 unstreaked ; upper tail-coverts similar, but with ill-defined hair- 

 brown centres ; tail hair-brown, the feathers narrowly tipped and 

 margined with pale rufescent ; wing-coverts and tertiaries deep 

 hair-brown, broadly margined with pale rufous fawn ; primaries 

 and secondaries paler hair-brown, very narrowly margined 

 with the same colour ; chin, throat, middle of abdomen, vent, 



