35 



examined and compared specimens of this group of Manias in my own 

 collection witli Meyen's figure, I am convinced that it is only the young of 

 Dr. Cabanis's Dcrmophrys jrKjtiri, from the Philippine Islands. 



Dr. Cabanis has already described a small species of the Nutmeg group 

 as Oxycerca jagori, which must not be confused with the present species, 

 for which I shall retain the earlier specific appellation, minuta. 



From an elaborate paper on the ' Bu'ds of the Philippine Archipelago,' 

 published in the ' Transactions of the Zoological Society' for 1875, by the 

 Mai'quis of Tweeddale, I have been enabled to confirm my views from his 

 remarks on " two examples ( S and ? ) of an almost black-headed Mxmia, 

 which were obtained in Zebu by Dr. A. B. Meyer. Both have the upper 

 tail -coverts glistening dark chestnut, and the middle pair of rectrices 

 rich glistening ferruginous. In the male the black extends from the 

 breast to the under tail-coverts, forming a broad, mesial black, continuous 

 band. In the female this black mesial band is interrupted by a chestnut 

 band crossing the breast. In examples of il/1 ruhronigra from the Deyra 

 Doon, Bengal, Tippera, Mymensing, and Tongoo, as well as of M.formosana 

 from Formosa, and M. brunneiceps from Celebes and Banjarmassing, the 

 black mesial band is not continuous, nor is it so broadly developed on the 

 abdomen. In M. rubronigra the whole head is intensely black. In Munia 

 formosana the occiput and nape are faded brown ; and Mr. Swinhoe has 

 established that this is normal in the adult bird. The Philippine, Celebean, 

 and South-Bornean forms do not apj^ear to have the head so intensely 

 black as in M. rubronigra, although darker than M, formosana. 



" In the Philippine examples the head and nape are not of a true black, 

 but rather of a dark brown. This has also been pointed out by Dr. 

 Cabanis. In M. brunneiceps of Celebes the head is still less black, and the 

 black abdominal band is interrupted. 



" May not Meyen's Fri)igiUa minuta he M. jagori in first plumage, before 

 the black feathers come in ? Otherwise it is remarkable that a species 

 stated by Meyen to occur in numberless troops in the Luzon sugar- 

 plantations has not since he wrote (1834) been recognised. 



" Eggs of a little amadavad (from the Island of Negros), with red 

 body and black head, are probably the eggs of the little Munia jagori, which 

 accord with this description. They are pure white. Axis 7'", diam. 5'"." 



The nest has not yet been described. 



