NOTES ON THE BIRDS OF UPPER ASSAM. 26a 



the wild gorges are their favourite haunts. One of the wariest birds, ita 

 arrowy flight as it skims a foot or so above the water and the inaccessible 

 nature of its haunts make it a most difficult task to procure specimens. The 

 following records have been noted : Panchnoi, November 1905* ; E. Dejoo, 

 higher reaches, 11-12-04*; Runganuddie Gorge, 12-11-05, $, 3-3-07, J juv.,' 

 « to 14-11-05,* half a dozen or so pairs ; R. Dejoo, 9-4-07, left branch higher 

 reaches, probably a pair and young ; Subansiri Gorge, Sifoo Mukh, 

 26-2-06 S , juv. Lost two adult birds which were swept down the river, 

 now in spate all efforts to secure them were to no purpose, although one 

 hill-man was up to his chest in the seething water. Subansiri Gorge, 

 second defile between Ganditola and Sifoo Mukh, 29-1-06. Two nests each 

 containing five eggs placed in niches in the rock a few feet above the water, 

 only accessible by boat ; a third, too high up on the precipitous face of the 

 rocks on the left bank to reach. In all cases the birds left the nests on our 

 approach disclosing their situation. This river very often rises many feet 

 in the cold weather and, in any case, its waters are augmented before sue! 

 rivers as the Runganuddie and Dikrang. Late nesting birds would have 

 only a remote chance of bringing up their broods. 



198. Ploceus haya megarhynchus, Hume. [721]. The Baya. 



Ploceus megarhynchus (part.). Gates, F. B. I., Vol. ii., p. 176. 

 The distribution of the weaver birds are only imperfectly known 

 undoubtedly locally migratory, appear to leave the foot of the hills in North 

 Lakhimpur about the middle of August, the following data record the sum 

 total of my observations — Rungagora, 11-4-12*, 28-6-03, S, Chota Jingrai, 

 15 and 16-2-04, S $ ; Dejoo, 6-4-10*, 28-5-04, S 2- No records available 

 for P. bengalensis, possibly overlooked. 



199. Ploceus manyar Jlaviceps, Less. [723]. — The Striated Weaver-Bird. 



Ploceus manyar, Gates, F. B. I., Vol. ii., p. 179. 

 Records for Rungagora, 10/14-4-03 ; Dejoo and North Lakhimpur, 

 June and July. 



200. Munia atricapilla (Vieill.) [726].— The Chestnut-bellied Munia. 

 Records as -follows: — Dejoo, April, May, June, July; Rungagora and 



Maijan, April. 



201. Munia acuticauda, Hodgs. [727]. — Hodgson's Munia. 



Uroloncha acuticaudc', Gates, F. B. I., p. 184. 

 Numerous records : Rungagora, March, May ; Margherita, Dejoo, Juns 

 July, August ; Beni, Abor-Miri hills, February. 



202. Munia purctulata punctulata (L.) [735]. — The Spotted Munia. 



Uroloncha punctulata, Gates, F. B. I., Vol. ii., p. 189. 

 Margherita, March ; Rungagora, August, Gctober. 



203. Amandava amandava (L.) [738]. — The Indian Red Munia. 



Sporceginthus amandava. Gates, F.B.I. , Vol. ii., p. 192. 

 Particularly plentiful on the vast expanses of "chopra" grass lands adjacent 

 to the main rivers. Komolabari (Bramapootra), September, a large series 

 collected ; Hessamara (Subansiri), December, January ; Panitola, Dinjaii. 

 June, December. Gccasionally arrives at the foot of the hills in North 

 Lakhimpur ; Dejoo, 8-12-08. I noted a male twittering whilst in flight over a 

 "hoolah" under " dhan " cultivation in the garden ; the first occasion on 

 which this bright coloured Munia has come under my observation so far 

 distant from its accustomed haunts. Nalkatta Road, North Lakhimpur, 

 26-11-10*. In dhan khets possibly attracted at this time of the year to the 

 ou'/skirts of the forest tracts wherever cultivation is in progress, but can 

 only be regarded as a straggler to these localities. 

 11 



