246 F. Stoliczka — Mammals and Birch inhabiting Kachh. [No. 3, 



variation in the plumage, perhaps the first step to albinism. The wing 

 varies in four specimens from 5"5 to 5'9 ; tail 3 - 5 to 375 ; tarsus P4 to 

 1-6 ; bill at front 065 to 07 inch. 



685. ^ACBXDOTHEBES GnfGIOTANtrS. 



Not very common, except locally in the eastern parts of Kachh (Wagur 

 district). In young specimens from Bengal the bill is blackish green at 

 base, the wing spot pure white and the under tail coverts and tips of tail 

 feathers dusky white, intead of pale ferruginous. 



In addition to the three species, given by Jerdon, G. R. Gray (Handl., 

 II, 20) separates A. grandis, Hodgs. = cristatellus, Vig., from Nepal, 

 and ? ater, V., = griseus, Blyth (part), from Pondicherry. 



687. Tementjchus pagodabtjm. 

 • Rare. I have seen it only on three or four occasions in pairs. Jerdon's 

 description is rather short. It should state that the lengthened brown fea- 

 thers pass round the whole neck. The two middle tail feathers are ashy 

 brown, and blackish along the shafts, the remainder dark brown, tipped 

 with white, the latter colour increasing in amount towards the outer feathers ; 

 lower tail and under coverts of the wings white, tibial feathers ashy white ; 

 there is a small black spot at the base of the lower mandible, and the chin 

 quite in front is also tinged blackish. 



690. Pastok eoseus. 



Very common from about the middle of November. G. R. Gray (Handl. 

 II, 19) quotes the Indian bird as distinct from the European and Western 

 Asiatic under the name P. ? peguanus, Less. I do not know whether a second 

 species exists hi Barma, but surely the Western Indian bird is not different 

 from the European one, which in former years I had very abundantly seen 

 hi various parts of Hungary. It is a rare bird in Western Europe. 



694. Ploceus baya. 



This is the smaller bird,* described by Jerdon under the above name. 

 Although nests were very numerously seen on branches overhanging river 

 banks &c, the birds themselves were very rare ; most of them must have 

 retired to some other more wooded districts, but they are said to return in 

 the rainy season, when they breed. 



703. Munia Malabarica. 



Extremely common. I found the species breeding abundantly during 

 November, December and January in deserted nests of the weaver bird, P. 

 baya ; and I was told by my shikari that the Mania never builds its own 

 nest, always using that of baya, as soon as the latter had finished breeding 

 at the end of the rains. However, I have at least on two occasions seen a 

 Mania working on an imperfect nest of the P. baya, evidently the birds 



* Comp. ante, p. 167. 



