540 Catalogue of Birds of the [Oct. 



female of Emb. cristata ; but setting aside the fact of both sexes of each bird 

 being in the present collection, tbeir localities are different, and they were never 

 seen together by Colonel Sykes. 



Genus Linaria, Bechst. Linnet. 



105. Linaria Amandava. Fringilla Amandava, Linn. 



These beautiful little birds, so common in Goojrat, are rare in Dukhun. 

 Genus Ploceus, Cuv. Weaver Bird. 



106. Ploceus Philippensis, Cuv. Philippine Grosbeak, Lath. 



The Weaver Bird is very common in Dukhun, and there are few wells overhung by a 

 tree where their nests are not seen pendent. They live in small communities, and 

 are very noisy in their labours. They associate so readily with the common Spar- 

 row that at the season of the falling of the grass seeds Colonel Sykes, in firing into 

 a flock ot-Sparrows on the grass plats in his own grounds, killed as many Weaver 

 Birds as Sparrows. Fruit of the Ficus Indica and grass seeds have been found 

 in the stomach. Irides, intense brown. 



107. Ploceus jlavicollis. Fringilla flavicollis, Frankl. 



This bird has so nearly the bill, tongue, irides, size and aspect of Ploc. Philippensis, 

 that Colonel Sykes has considered it a Ploceus. Grass seeds and a few grains of 

 rice found in the stomach. Very rare in Dukhun. 



Genus Fringilla, Auct. Finch. 



108. Fringilla crucigera, Temm., PL Col. 269. fig. 1. Duree Finch, Lath. 



This minute bird has the strange habit of squatting on the high roads and almost 

 allowing itself to be ridden over ere it rises. Smaller than a Sparrow. Irides, 

 red brown. Coleopterous insects, maggots, and seeds of Panicum spicatum found 

 in the stomachs of many specimens. This bird has the straight hind claw of a 

 Lark, and should therefore neither be classed as a Fringilla, agreeably to M. 

 Temminck, nor as a Passer, agreeably to Brisson. Its habits also separate it 

 from both these genera. M. Temminck in his Plate has placed it on a twig, 

 but it never perches. 



Genus Lonchura. 

 Rostrum forte, breve, latum, altitudine ad basin longitudinem sequans ; mandibulis 

 integris, superiori in frontem angulariter extendente, cumque eo circuli arcum for- 

 mante. 



yl/^mediocres, subacuminatee ; remigibus, Imabrevissimasubspuria, 2da 3tia 4taque 

 fere sequalibus longissimis. 



Cauda gradata, lanceolata ; rectricibus mediis cseteras paullo longitudine superanti- 

 bus. 



Pedes mediocres, subgraciles. 



The peculiar spear-head form of the tail, and the ridge of the upper mandible and 

 the forehead, forming a segment of the same circle, together with the habits of the 

 following species, afford sufficient characteristics to justify their separation from 

 the genus Fringilla of M. Temminck. The Gros-bec longicone of the PL Col. 9G. 

 (Emb. quudricolor, Lath.) belongs to the same group. 



109. Lonchura nisoria. Fringilla nisoria, Temm. Gros-bec epervin, PL Col. 500. Fig. 2. 

 Found only in the Ghauts. Grass seeds in the stomach. Length 5.4 inches : tail 



1.9 to 2 inches. Sexes alike. 



110. Lonchura Cheet. Lonch. pallide cinnamomeo-brunnea ; corpore subtits uropy- 



gioque albis ; remigibus rectricibus que intense brunneis. 



Foem. coloribus minus intensis. 



Irides, intense rufo-brunneae. Longitudo corporis 5.4 unc, caudce 2. 

 Tail lanceolate ; central feathers longer than the rest, and ending in a point. Sexes 

 alike. These birds live in small families. Colonel Sykes hasfrequently found 

 them in possession of the deserted nests of the Ploceus Philippensis ; but their 

 own nest is a hollow ball of grass. Ten white eggs, not much larger than peas, 

 were found in a nest. The cry of the bird is cheet, cheet, cheet, uttered simultane- 

 ously by flocks in flight. 



111. Lonchura leuconota. Fringilla leuconota, Temm. Gros-bec leuconote, PL Col. 500. 



Fig. 1. 

 Found only in the Ghauts. Length 4.8 inches, inclusive of tail 1.8 inch. Sexes 

 alike. Grass seeds only found in the stomach. 



Genus Passer, Auct. 



112. Passer domesticus, Briss. Fringilla domestica, Linn. 



On submitting the Indian Sparrow, male and female, to a rigid comparison with 

 Sparrows shot in the Regent's Park, they were found to be absolutely identical. 

 Fam. Starnidce, Vigors. — Genus Pastor, Temm. 

 113. Pastor tristis, Temm. Gracula tristis, Lath. 



