PLOCEPASSER MAHALI.—S m ith .'
Aves.—P late LX V .^M ale.
p. fronts, capita supra, nucha, taniolague ab angulo oris ad cervicem nigro-brunneis; cervice supra,
dorsoque paUide flavo-brunneis; alls faciis duabus transversis flavo-albis notatis; subtus albus,
pectore ventreque rufo-fiavo-tinctis. Eostro pedibusque flavo-brunneis, brunneo-rubro umbratis.
Ooalis profunde rubro-aurantiis.
Lonuitudo corporis cum capite, 4 unc. 2 lin .; caud® 2 unc. 6^ liu.
C olour.—The forehead, the top of the head, the nape, the lores, and a stripe
from the angles of the mouth to the top of the neck, liver-brown; thesides of the
head and ear-coverts broccoli-brown, tinged with yellowish brown ; eyebrows
broad, and of a dusky white colour. The upper and lateral parts of the neck,
the interscapulars, the back, and the lesser wing-coverts intermediate between
broccoli and wood-brown ; the last row of the lesser wing-coverts are broadly
tipped with cream-yellow, and thus an oblique band of that tint is formed in
front of the quill coverts ; the primary and secondary quill-coverts are livid
umber-brown, and the latter is broadly tipped with pale cream-yellow,
forming a second oblique bar parallel with the one just described. The
primary' and secondary quill-coverts are light liver-brown, the former narrowly
the latter broadly margined with rusty white; the rump and upper
tail coverts yellowish white; the tail-feathers liver-brown tipped and narrowly
edged externally with rusty white. The chin, the throat, the vent, the under
tail-coverts and the thighs dusky white ; the breast, the belly, and the flanks
dirty cream-yellow, inclining to pale wood-brown. Bill dull yellowish brown,
shaded with brownish red ; legs, toes, and claws the same colour. Eyes
deep brownish orange.
F orm, &c.—Figure rather robust, and when the bird is perched, or moving
on the ground, it has much of the appearance of a Ploceus. Head rather
large ; bill conical, pointed, and slightly compressed at the sides ; the lower
mandible received between the cutting edges of the upper ; the culmen
slightly arched, and entering between the feathers of the forehead. Wings
moderately long, and rather rounded, the longest primaries about three-
quarters of an inch longer than the secondaries; when closed they reach
rather beyond the first half of the tail; the first quill feather rudimentary,
the second and third equal and longest, the fourth slightly shorter; tail square
at the point, or very slightly forked. Tarsi and toes robust, the former with
» Plocepasser, Smith, June, 1836. Agrophilns, Swaineou, 1837