358 birds of india. 



The plain bkown Munia. 



Descr. — Upper plumage p;»le earthy brown, slightly ruf ascent 

 on the heail, and darker towards the forehead; wings and tail 

 blackish ; the tertiaiies slightly bordered with whitish at their 

 truncated tips ; upper tail-covei ts wliite, edged with black exter- 

 nally ; clieeks and lower parts white, tinged with pale earthy brown 

 on the flanks, which sometimes have some faint cross rays. 



Bill plumbeous; legs livid carneous ; irides deep brown. 

 Length 5 inches ; wing 2^ ; tail 2. The central tail-feathers are 

 much elongated, being f inch longer than the outermost pair. 



This plain coloured Munia is found throughout India, not 

 entering the hills, nor extending to the countries towards the 

 east, but very abundant in Sindh and the Punjab. It also occurs 

 in C)ey Ion. It frequents bushy jungles, hedgerows, thickets near 

 cultivation, and groves of trees, often entering gardens, and is 

 to be met with, in the south and in Central India, near every 

 village ; it is more rare in Malabar and other well-wooded dis- 

 tricts, and generally so indeed in forest country. Like all the 

 others it associates in small flocks, and feeds on grass seeds and 

 grains. The nest is a large, loosely constructed fabric, of fine 

 grass, with an opening at one side, which, says Theobald is "some- 

 times prolonged into a short deflected neck, partially closed by 

 the elasticity of the long spikes of grass forming it." The eggs 

 are numerous, small and white. Sykes took ten from one nest; 

 Burgess never more than six ; I have usually found from five to 

 eight. Theobald on one occasion took " twenty-five in different 

 stages of incubation from one nest, but he has satisfactorily 

 accounted for this by showing that two pairs of birds" (if not more) 

 "are frequently, if not usually, employed in the construction of 

 one nest, and the two hens lay consecutively in it." The same 

 observer states that "sometimes the nest is a simple platform 

 of grass, open at each end, but the grass ends curved over to meet 

 at the top. It is much to be doubted if the eggs found occa- 

 sionally in October and Deeembei' are often hatched." With 

 Mr. Blyth, I consider that the nest last described was not intended 

 for incubation. CoL. Sykes states that they " frequently take 



