SPOK^GINTHUS. 193 



Sharpe is of opinion that the male bird of this species undergoes 

 a seasonal change of plumage. I cannot follow him in this, as all 

 the evidence 1 can find in the large series of this bird in the British 

 Museum leads me to the same conclusion I arrived at some years 

 ago with respect to the allied Burmese race, viz., that the male 

 is a very considerable period in acquiring his perfectly mature 

 dress, but that having once acquired it he never changes. 



The nestling male at the first autumn appears to don the female 

 plumage, and from this point slowly advances step by step towards 

 his complete adult plumage, which is probably not fully attained 

 till the second autumn or a short time previously. 



Distribution. The whole of India proper from Sind to Assam and 

 from the foot of the Himalayas to Cape Comorin ; Ceylon ; the 

 hill-ranges of Assam, Cachar, Sylhet, and Tipperah. This species 

 is again found in Siam, Cochin China, Singapore, and Java. 



Habits, Sfc. Appears to breed twice a year, once in the cold 

 season and once in the rains, constructing its nest near the ground. 

 The eggs measure about -55 by *43. 



739. Sporseginthus flavidiventris. The Burmese lied Munia. 



Estrelda flavidiventris, Wallace, P. Z. S. 1863, pp. 486, 495 ; Ward- 

 law Ramsay, Ibis, 1877, p. 461 ; Anders. Yunnan Fxped., Ave*, 

 p. 600 ; Hume, Cat. no. 704 bis. 



Estrelda amandava {Linn.), Oates, S. F. iii, p. 342. 



Estrilda burmanica, Hume, S. F. iv, p. 484 ; Oates, S. F. v, p. 163. 



Estrilda punicea (Horsf.), Oates, B. B. i, p. 371. 



Sporseginthus flavidiventris (Wall,), Sharpe, Cat. B. M. xm,p. >j23 ; 

 Oates in Hume's N. # F. 2nd ed. ii, p. 149. 



Coloration. Very similar to 8. amandava, the male differing from 

 the male of that species in having the abdomen yellowish red. The 

 females of the two species are apparently undistinguishable. The 

 young are also alike, and the males undergo the same changes in 

 adopting the adult plumage. 



Bill deep red, the posterior half of culmen black ; iris crimson ; 

 eyelids purpurescent ; inside of mouth salmon-colour ; legs flesh- 

 colour ; claws horny. 



Length 4 ; tail 1-5 ; wing 1-8 ; tarsus -55 ; bill from gape -35, 



Upon re-examining Horsfield's type of Fringilla punicea from 

 Java, it now appears to me to be a specimen of S. amandava 

 rather than of 8. flavidiventris. Such is also Sharpe's opinion. 

 A considerable number of specimens from Singapore are undoubt- 

 edly S. amandava. The distribution of the two species is thus 

 very difficult to understand. 



Distribution, Burma, from the neighbourhood of Bhaino down to 

 the southern coast of Pegu and to Karennee and Central Tenas- 

 serim This species occurs in the islands of Flores and Timor. 



Habits, SfC. Breeds in Pegu in October and November, con- 

 structing its nest in clumps of low grass. The eggs, four to six 

 in number, measure about -56 by -44. 



TOL. II. ° 



