676 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXL 



causing serious damage and disappointment. In nearly five cases out of a 

 hundred, the Baya was found to be the criminal. And to minimize the 

 cases of annual fires, I had arranged to pick up as far as possible all Baya's 

 nests in dangerous places, before the commencement of the fire-season. 

 Accordingly all the staff concerned was carefully watching to find out as 

 to where and when the nests would be prepared. But since the monsoons 

 failed or were unusually late in these parts, grass was not ever available 

 for the Weaver-bird to weave its nest at the proper time. It seems to 

 have made unsuccessful attempts in several localities, where green grass of 

 some kind or other was available, and relics in the shape of a bunch or two 

 of grass are found attached to the ends of the branches of trees. During 

 last month, as I went out in tour of inspection, a couple of my Forest- 

 guards, relying upon these relics informed me that the Baya had begun 

 weaving the nest just then, and in about two weeks' time the architecture 

 would be complete. But as contrary evidence, the cultivators of Jawar 

 assured me that they did not see a single Weaver-bird, and rightly re- 

 marked that, as it did not get suitable green grass in time to prepare its 

 nests, it must have migrated to that part of the country, which could 

 supply it with the necessary building material. After inspection of some 

 places, where hundreds of these fresh nests used to be found every year, I 

 came to the conclusion that the Weaver-bird really migrated to some 

 distant part of the country. I think observers in other parts of India and 

 Burma, where there was no change in the monsoons, or where in the 

 absence of timely rains, some other kind of weaving material is available, 

 may be able to corroborate my conclusions, perhaps noticing an un- 

 usually increased number of nests this year. 



A. B. PUNDE, 



Divisional Forest Oflicer. 

 Gakoik (Indoke State), 2Qth December 1911. 



No. XXV.— THE MAROON ORIOLE {ORIOLUS TRAILLII). 



I write to ask if any member will be so kind as to enlighten me on a 

 question of plumage of O. traillii, the Maroon Oriole, which in this part 

 of the district is, to my mind, the commonest form of Oriole found. Of the 

 numbers that have lately passed through my hands all those in the full 

 maroon plumage have been males, all in the duller streaked and dark 

 brown plumage females, not young. I write only concerning adults. 



The Nepalis to whom the bird is well known, distinguish two sexes by 

 this plumage and my collector at present, an old Pahariah, pointed this 

 out to me and had always asked me to sex birds of this species carefully 

 myself and I must say that so far his assertion has been perfectly correct ; 

 at the same time I do not for a moment wish to dispute that the plumage 



