1844.] Synopsis of Indian Frinyillidai. 945 



Indian bird under consideration (some notice of which occurs in /. A. S. 

 XI, 872). PL philippinus is included among the birds of Sumatra by- 

 Sir S. Raffles, and among those of Java by Dr. Horsfield ; but in a 

 recent communication Mr. H. E. Strickland informs me, that " the 

 Fringilla philippina of Dr. Horsfield's catalogue is not the true philip- 

 pina, but I have not yet decided," he adds, " what it is." Hence I 

 suspect that the Javanese bird will prove to be the original philippina, 

 rather than the allied Indian species, which latter has always been so 

 designated, and is probably thus alluded to by Mr. Strickland as the 

 M true philippina." Should it require a name, it might be termed PL 

 baya. It extends its range throughout India, and is the only species 

 of the genus which Mr. Hodgson has forwarded from Nepal.* 



2. PL manyar ; Fringilla manyar, Horsf., Lin. Tr. XIII, 160, apud 

 Strickland in epistold: Euplectes flaviceps, Swainson, Menag., and pro- 

 bably Ploceus flaviceps, Cuv., Par. Mus., as mentioned in Lesson's Traite ; 

 (nee PL flaviceps, Sw., which now ranks as Hyphantornis stictonotus, 

 (A. Smith) G. R. Gray;) Euplectes striatus, Nobis, J. A. S. XI, 873, 

 and XII, 181 (bis) ; and probably Coccothraustes chrysocephala, 

 Vieillot, which is referred to the next species in the Diet. Class. W. 

 India, Bengal, Assam and Malay countries. Constructs a non-pensile 

 nest among reeds, with an incipient tubular entrance ; as I am 

 informed is also very commonly the case with the preceding species, 

 when resorting to similar localities. 



3. PL bengalensis ; Loxia bengalensis, Lin. (founded on the Yellow- 

 headed Indian Sparrow of Edwards) : L. regina, Bodd. ; Euplectes 

 albirostris, Sw. Menang. — Bengal ; less common in S. India. 



Next to the Baya or Weaver group (so largely developed in Africa) 

 may be arranged the Sparrows : — 



* A letter just received from Mr. Strickland informs me, that — ** Horsfield's so 

 called PI. philippinus from Java, is bright yellowish above, back striped with dusky ; 

 wings dusky, each feather margined whitish ; tail dusky, narrowly tipped with whitish. 

 Beak shorter than in bengalensis, the cheeks and throat blackish with a yellow 

 streak dividing that on the lower jaw. Lower parts deep yellow. No doubt a well 

 known species, though I cannot at the moment give the right name." 



