STICTOSPIZA.. 



191 



737. Stictospiza formosa. The Green Mania. 



Fringilla formosa, Lath, hid. Orn. i, p. 441 (1790). 



Estrelda formosa (Lath.), Blyth, Cat. p. 119 ; Jerd. B. I. ii, p. 361 ; 



Hume, N. $ E. p. 456 ; Butler, S. F. iii, p. 496 ; Hume, Cat. no. 



705 ; Reid, S. F. x, p. 56 ; Barnes, Birds Bom. p. 265. 

 Stictospiza formosa (Lath.), Sharpe, Cat. B. M. xiii, p. 287 ; Oates 



in Hume's N. 8f E. 2nd ed. ii, p. 145. 

 The Green Wax-bill, Jerd. ; Havre lal, Harre munia, Hind. 



Fig. 49. — Tail of 8. formosa. 



Coloration. Male. The whole upper plumage light green, tinged 

 with yellow on the upper tail-coverts ; wings and their coverts 

 brown, each feather broadly edged with light green, the closed 

 wing appearing entirely of this latter colour ; tail black ; sides of 

 the head and neck yellowish green ; lower plumage yellow, pale on 

 the chin, throat and fore neck, brighter on the breast, and becoming 

 deep on the abdomen, vent, and under tail-coverts ; flanks and 

 sides of the body transversely barred with dark greenish brown 

 and white, the white bars sometimes tinged with yellow : under 

 wing-coverts pale yellowish. 



Female. Not very dissimilar to the male, but having the green 

 of the upper plumage and wings duller ; the chin, throat, and breast 

 grey barely tinged with yellow, and the yellow of the remaining 

 lower parts much paler. 



The young bird has the upper plumage olive-brown ; the lower 

 plumage ochraceous, turning to pale yellow on the abdomen ; flanks 

 and sides of the body pale buff, uniform and unbarred ; bill black. 



Bill waxy red ; feet plumbeous brown ; iris pale brown (Jerclon). 



Length about 4; tail 1*5 ; wing 1*95 ; tarsus '5; bill from gape 

 •45. 



Distribution, The Central portion of the Indian continent, the 

 extreme points to which this species extends being apparently 

 Mount Abu on the west, Palamow and Lohardugga on the east, 

 Jhansi on the north, and Chanda and Ahiri on the south. 



Habits, Sfe. Breeds apparently twice a year, once in the rains 

 and once in the cold season, laying five eggs, which measure about 

 •66 by -47. 



