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Notes. — These little birds are usually 

 seen in groups of from five to a dozen, 

 which feed and roost together, some- 

 times occupying an old nest as their 

 roosting place. The Chinese call them 

 "The Ten Sisters." 



Another species of Chinese Munia 

 (Munia punctulata topela) sometimes 

 occurs as a summer resident in the 

 upper part of the Yangtse Valley. 

 It is very similar to The Sharp-tailed 

 Munia, but is lighter in color with 

 a tinge of greenish yellow on the 

 rump and tail. 



THE JAVA SPARROW. 



PADDA ORYZIVORA (lINN). 



Description. — Length five and one 

 half inches. Bill bright red. 



Head and neck black, with the 

 exception of the cheeks and ear 

 coverts which are conspicuously white. 

 Back and breast gray. Flanks washed 

 with rose. Abdomen white. Wings 

 brown. Rump, upper tail coverts, and 

 tail black. 



Distribution. — East Indies and south 

 China. Passes down the coast section 

 of the Yangtse Valley on migration, in 

 small numbers. Frequently seen in 

 Shanghai and Soochow markets for 

 sale as a cage bird. 



Family, Frlo^illidae, Sparrows, Buntings, etc. 



This very large Family is nearly 

 world-wide in distribution, being most 

 numerous in the Northern Hemisphere. 

 The limits of the Family are not yet 

 clearly defined, but the main charac- 

 teristics are as follows : — 



A strong, hard, cone-shaped bill, 

 adapted for shelling and eating seeds ; 



