Birds of Luchnoio. 555 
but in dry dhak-jungles, no matter how shady the trees may 
be^ I have never seen it. It also avoids mango-topes/" 
No. 691. Petrophila ciNCLORHYNCHA. Blue-heuded RocJc- 
Thrush, 
A rare cold-weather visitor. Reid came across it on two 
or three occasions near Byramghat, and twice in mango- 
groves near Lucknow. 
No. 698. Oreocincla dauma. Small-billed Mountain- 
Thrush. 
A cold-weather visitor, frequenting the same localities as 
Geocichla citrina, and about as uncommon. . 
No. 720. Ploceus baya. Baya or Baya Weaver-hird. 
The Baya is a common and permanent resident, though 
rather local in its distribution. It prefers those parts where 
there is a certain amount of water. It breeds in colonies, 
making a retort-shaped nest which is suspended from the 
twigs of the babool or from the leaves of the toddy-palm, 
and i£ there is any water at hand the nests are sure to over- 
hang it. Sometimes the old structures are repaired, and I had 
one given me by Mr. P. J. Lucas which had seven chambers, 
one below the other, only the last, that of the year, being 
in use. The number of eggs, which are laid between June 
and September, is usually two, but occasionally three or four. 
They are pure white. The Baya makes an interesting pet, 
as it is easily tamed and taught to perform tricks. 
Average of 18 Lucknow eggs -80" x '57" 
Measurement of largest e^^ •86" x "60" 
„ smallest e^^ -75" X '55" 
No. 723. Ploceus manyar. Striated Weaver-hird. 
Telia-baya [H.]. 
Reid wrote: — '^Though Jerdon states that the Striated 
Weaver- bird does not appear in the North-west Provinces 
(^ Birds of India/ vol. iv. p. 349), he must, I think, have 
been misinformed, as it certainly is not uncommon during 
the rains here and in suitable localities throughout both 
Oudh and the N.W. Provinces. In July 1878, when the 
Goomti was in high flood, some hundreds of these birds 
