Part 276

"This chestnut weaver finch feeds in large flocks and is much prized by some of the inhabitants as an article of food, its small size being compensated for by the fact that a score can be killed at one discharge of a gun. It seems to breed throughout the year; its bulky nest is placed in the grass, and is composed entirely of grass stems and leaves; the entrance is a round opening at the side. The eggs are pure white and more or less globular; from six to ten eggs are deposited in a set." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

702. MUNIA FORMOSANA Swinhoe.

FORMOSAN WEAVER.

Munia formosana Swinhoe, Ibis (1865), 366; Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1890), 13, 338; Grant, Ibis (1895), 112; Whitehead, Ibis (1899), 242; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 105.

Luzon (Whitehead). Formosa.

Adult.--This species is very similar to M. jagori from which it may be distinguished by its smoky brown head and neck; fore part of crown and sides of face blacker. The measurements of the type as given by Sharpe and changed to millimeters are: Length, 96.5; culmen, 11.4; wing, 48; tail, 35.5; tarsus, 15.

"Munia formosana Swinhoe, of which a specimen was recorded from Isabela, north Luzon, appears to be a distinct pale-colored form, the head, even in freshly-molted male examples, being of a dark smoky brown. In addition to the specimens recorded in the Catalogue of Birds, I have examined a number of Formosan examples of this species in the Seebohm collection." Grant, Ibis (1896), 554.

703. MUNIA CABANISI Sharpe.

CABANIS'S WEAVER.

Oxycerca jagori (not Munia jagori Martens) Cabanis, Jour. für Orn. (1872), 317. Munia cabanisi Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1890), 13, 353 (new name); Whitehead, Ibis (1899), 242; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 105.

Luzon (Meyer, Heriot, Everett, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Whitehead, McGregor, Bartsch); Mindoro (Porter); Panay (Bourns & Worcester).

Adult (sexes alike).--Upper parts, including secondary-coverts and tertials, dark hair-brown with whitish shaft-lines; tail-coverts and rectrices light yellowish green; lores dusky; face and ear-coverts brown with light shaft-lines; chin and middle of throat vandyke-brown with lighter shaft-lines; feathers on the remaining under parts white with white shafts and white edges, each feather with a broad, median, brown mark and a wide brown band around the feather, next to the white edge, producing a peculiar and characteristic pattern. Iris light brown; bill horn-blue, the upper mandible darker especially toward the tip; legs and nails horn-blue. A male from Benguet Province, Luzon, measures: Length, 108; wing, 48; tail, 39; culmen from base, 10.5; tarsus, 13. A female, wing, 48; tail, 36; culmen from base, 11; tarsus, 13.

Young.--Upper parts broccoli-brown, darker on crown; under parts cream-buff, nearly white on middle of abdomen and on crissum.

Cabanis's weaver is sometimes found in small flocks, but it is much rarer than either Munia jagori or Uroloncha everetti.

"A large flock of Cabanis's weavers was seen in an open field in Panay, but this species was not again found by us. A female measures: Wing, 50; tail, 37.5; culmen, 11; tarsus, 13; middle toe with claw, 17." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

Genus UROLONCHA Cabanis, 1851.

The genus Uroloncha as represented in the Philippines differs very little from Munia; in the two species of Uroloncha found here the plumage is all, or nearly all, chocolate-brown, the tail is wedge-shaped, and the central pair of rectrices, although pointed, are less acute than in Munia.

Species.

a1. Feathers of back and wing-coverts with white shaft-lines; middle of abdomen white. ... everetti (p. 691) a2. Feathers of upper parts without white shaft-lines; abdomen chocolate-brown uniform with the rest of the plumage. ... fuscans (p. 692)

704. UROLONCHA EVERETTI (Tweeddale).

EVERETT'S WEAVER.

Orycerca everetti Tweeddale, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. (1877), 20, 96; Proc. Zool. Soc. (1877), 764, pl. 73, fig. 2. Uroloncha everetti Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1890), 13, 363; Whitehead, Ibis (1899), 242; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 105.

Bi-lit', Calayan.

Balabac (Everett); Basilan (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Bohol (McGregor); Calamianes (Bourns & Worcester); Calayan (McGregor); Camiguin N. (McGregor); Catanduanes (Whitehead); Cebu (Everett, Bourns & Worcester); Guimaras (Steere Exp.); Leyte (Whitehead); Luzon (Everett, McGregor); Mindanao (Koch & Schadenberg, Bourns & Worcester, Celestino); Mindoro (Porter); Negros (Whitehead, Celestino); Palawan (Everett, Whitehead, Platen, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, White); Panay (Steere Exp.); Polillo (McGregor); Romblon (Bourns & Worcester); Samar (Whitehead); Sibuyan (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Tablas (Bourns & Worcester); Tawi Tawi (Bourns & Worcester, Everett).

Adult (sexes alike).--Above chocolate-brown, darkest on forehead and tail-coverts; tertials, secondary-coverts, hind head, neck, back, and rump with distinct white shaft-lines; rectrices dark brown, edged with pale greenish yellow; lores blackish; sides of head and neck like back; under parts dark chocolate-brown, nearly black on chin and crissum; lower breast and abdomen white, forming a large patch. Iris dark red-brown; upper mandible black, lower mandible light horn-blue; legs and nails dark blue. Length, 110 to 120. A male from Camiguin Island measures: Wing, 51; tail, 40; culmen from base, 12; tarsus, 12. A female from Palawan, wing, 50; tail, 37; culmen from base, 11; tarsus, 12.

Young.--An immature male has the color pattern like the adult, but the brown is lighter, the shaft-lines are less pronounced, and the abdomen is washed with buff.

"Everett's weaver was common about the rice fields, and was several times observed in deep forest, greatly to our astonishment. Four males average: Length, 108; wing, 48; tail, 39; culmen, 12; tarsus, 13; middle toe with claw, 16.5. Four females, length, 107; wing, 48.5; tail, 37.5; culmen, 12; tarsus, 14; middle toe with claw, 17. Iris dark brown; legs, feet, and nails leaden; upper mandible black, lower gray. Found breeding in Palawan in the month of December." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

705. UROLONCHA FUSCANS (Cassin).