182 



FOREIGN BIRDS FOR CAGE AND AVIARY. 



bird, it is quite as easily kept in captivity on rice and 

 other species of grain ; it is also sociable towards other 

 small birds and companions, with whom it is accus- 

 tomed to sleep close toj»ether on the same perch. Its 

 caJI-not«, which one frequently hears, is a clear vit-ivil- 

 wil. 1 have never heard its song, but on the other hand 

 have often found its nest. The latter is always placed 

 in a low position, a few inches, at must half a foot, 

 above the ground ; sometimes in a small shrub standing 

 between the Alang-Alang ; sometimes it is built amo'Tig 

 this grass and supported by its blades, but never imme- 

 diately upon the ground. It is round in shape, with tho 

 entranc-p at the side, and is of considerable extent, in 

 proportion to the size of the bird, as its diameter usually 

 amounts to 6 inches. 



" All the nests which I have found belonging to this 

 species were comiKJsed exclusively of blades and Kbres 

 of various grasses, more especially of wool-bearing ones, 

 which materials were only loosely woven together on the 

 outside, and were also mixed with larger leaves and those 

 of the Alang, which give to the whole structure a some- 

 w^hat dishevelled appearance, while inside they, were 

 carefully and more finely entwined, and well mixed 

 with soft grass wool. The pure white, rather long- 

 shaped eggs, of which usually .six or seven, and but 

 rarely four, are found in one nest, measure 16-17 mm. 

 in diameter, in a few cases only 15 mm., while their 

 greatest transverse diameter amounts to 11-12 mm." 



This species has been exhibited ot the Ix>ndon Zoo- 

 logical Gardens, and was in the late Mr. Krskine Allen's 

 collection ; it ought to be freely imported. 



Black-headkd M.\nnikin {Mttnia atricapilla). 



This is very like the Three-coloured Mannikin, ex- 

 cepting that there is no white on the under surface of 

 the body. The male has a central longitudinal black 

 stri])e from the chest to the root of the tail, including 

 the under tail-coverts. Tlie female is a very little duller 

 in colouring, and the black stripe is partly obscured by 

 hrown. She is also rather smaller, and has a slightly 

 longer and narrower beak. The young is dull brown, 

 slightly tinged on the rump with rufous ; the chin, 

 throat, abdomen, and under tail-coverts buflish-white ; 

 the bill bluish-white, as in the adult birds. Hab., 

 Himalayas, Central India, Burma, and Malaysia. 



In its native haunts the Black-headed Mannikin makes 

 its nest of dry grass or straw, and lines it with flner 

 grasses. The stmcture is usually spherical, with 

 enti\ance hole in front, and is suspended in long grass, 

 reeds, bamboos, thick bushes, or scrub. The breediag 

 season appears (on the testimony of various observers) 

 to extend from April to August, and the numljer of 

 white egss deposited to vary from two to six, but two 

 can hardly represent a complete laying. 



This little bird is so abundant that occasionally the 

 market i.s glutted with specimens in perfect plumage. 

 At such times the price is so low that the profit of 

 importation must be almost covered by the food eaten 

 on the voyage, and can hardly be advantageous to the 

 importers. I have bought it at the absurd price of 

 5s. per dozen. In April, 1887, my sister brought me 

 from India a pair of young birds of this species, and 

 until they moulted I wondered what they could be; 

 after their fir.st moult they assumed the ordinary plumage 

 of the Black-headed Nun or Mannikin, but the black 

 mesial stripe of the belly was not developed until a 

 year later; the first appearance of the adult plumage, 

 therefore, wa.< similar to that of the Sumatran Manni- 

 kin. distinguished by this character alone from the 

 Indian S))e('ips, which occurs also in Borneo. 



I should think there ought to be little or no difficulty 



in breeding this or the allied species in a good-sized 

 garden aviary where there was plenty of cover, but there 

 is little chance of doing so indoors. It is always nesting 

 and laying, but is a restless sitter, easily disturbed so 

 that I never succeeded in breeding it'. Its song is like 

 that of most of its congeners, feeble, vibrant, creaky, 

 and terminating in a thin whistle. 



Although extremely hardy and long-lived, this and 

 the allied Mannikins often lo.se their lives through the 

 rapid growth of their claws, which get hung up in wire 

 work -or nesting material; so that, unless observed in 

 time, the birds die of fright or starvation. The claws, 

 therefore, need carefully looking to and cutting to a s ifc 

 length with a sharp pair of scissors. 



Thkee-colouked M.\nnikin tMunia malacca). 



The head, neck, front of breast, centre of belly, thighs, 

 and under tail-coverts are glossy black; the back, wings, 

 and sides glossy cinnamon-brown ; the tail deep reddish- 

 chocolate ; the inner webs of the flight feathers dark 

 rufous- bi\jwn ; sides and back of chest, and sides of 

 abdomen, snow white; bill bluish white; feet dark 



ThK ThREE-COIXITJRED M.iNNIKIN. 

 (Ilfod and shovlders of maU.) 



leaden grey ; irides hazel. Female smaller than male, 

 the black of a deader character, not glossy ; the entire 

 colouring duller ; flights greyer ; rump paler ; upper tail- 

 coverts and tail duller and less opalescent; beak weaker. 

 Hab., Central and Southern India and Ceylon. 



In "its "wild state the Three-coloured Mannikin breeds 

 in fields of sugar-cane, wild paddy, or coarse broad- 

 leaved grass ; also in reeds in ponds, tanks, or marshy 

 places ; rarely in a small bush. The nest is spherical 

 or oval, mth a circular 'fi'ont entrance, and is formed of 

 dry reeds, broad grass-blades, and sometimes roots, and 

 lined with finer gra.ss and frequently the flowering 

 stalks. The white eggs vary in numlier from four to 

 seven, but four is the usual clut-ch. The birds are said 

 to be very destmctive to the rice crops. 



Although, like most of the Miinias, this bird is an 

 assiduous builder, neither Dr. Russ nor I ever succeeded 

 in breeding it in cage or aviary. It is, however, one 

 of the prettiest of the commoner Mannikins, and for 

 that re;ison I have never been long without specimcTiS 

 in my collection. To anyone witli a large garden aviary, 

 I would recommend that a few yards should be sown 

 with coarse-leaved grasses or oats, and an attempt made 

 to cross this bird with the Chestnut-breasted Finch. I 

 believe that a very pretty hybrid might be produced. 



The song is very feeble, and not unlike that of the 

 Spice Finch, but I have not found M. malacca so fre- 

 quent a singer as the other Mannikins. 



