1872.] W. T. Blanford— On Birds from Si7ckim. 167 



630. Herpoeists xantholettca, Hodgs. 



Of two speciraens sent, one has a decidedly rufescent tinge on the hack. 

 The colour is dull yellowish green above, under wing coverts and inner mar- 

 gins of both remiges and rectrices bright yellow. The coronal feathers have 

 not black shafts and the margin of the wing is yellow, these being distinc- 

 tions from the new Hainan and Formosan species, H. tyrannulus, recently 

 described by Mr. Swinhoe (Ibis, 1870, p. 347, pi. x), besides the duller co- 

 lour of the plumage. 



632. Sylvtpartjs modesttjs, Burton. Single specimen. 

 647. Machlolophtts xastthoq-ents, (Vigors). 



A specimen was obtained in Eastern Nipal. Its representative form, 

 M. spilonotus, occurs around Darjiling. 



694. Plocetjs baya, Blyth. J. A. S. B., xii, p. 945. 

 P. megarliynchus, Hume, Ibis, 1869, p. 356, and 1871, p. 36. 



Mr. Hume has pointed out that there are two species of Ploceus in 

 India of the form originally confounded under P. philvppinus, L. To one 

 of these, which is larger than the other, and distinguished by a larger bill, 

 he has given the name of JR. megarhynchus. I find, however, that the large 

 billed form is that inhabiting the Himalayas, Eastern Bengal, Asam, Malacca 

 and probably Barma, and that it was upon specimens of it that Mr. Blyth's 

 P. baya was founded, as it is the species found at Calcutta, and all the ex- 

 amples in the Asiatic Society's collection appear to belong to it. 



There is of course a possibility that I may be mistaken in this, and that 

 Mr. Hume's P. megarhynchus may be, in the breeding plumage, something 

 well distinguished from P. baya, but I can detect no difference of the least 

 importance in the description of the birds in non-breeding plumage. At the 

 same time it is clear that there are two varieties of P. baya, but I am not 

 quite sure that the difference is sufficiently constant to deserve specific dis- 

 tinction. I append measurements (in inches) of the two forms. 



wing 

 P. baya, six specimens : four males, two 2'85 

 females from Calcutta, Sikkim and to 

 Cachar. 3 "05 



P. baya, small var., three specimens : one 2 - 6 

 male and two females from Singh- to 

 bum and Chanda. 2*75 



I can detect no constant difference between males and females. Bona- 

 parte's remark in the Conspect. Glen. Av. p. 442 fcemina minor, must nave 



tail 



tarsus 



bill from front 



1-87 



0-82 



0-69 



to 



to 



to 



2-15 



0-9 



0-77 



1-7 



0-79 



065 



to 



to 



to 



1-8 



0-9 



0-69 



