PASSERINE BIRDS OF CEYLON. 153 



Habits. — As noted above, this Munia is found among long 

 grass. It generally occurs in small parties, or at times larger 

 flocks, and feeds on grass seeds, often doing some damage to 

 crops. The breeding season appears to be from March to 

 August in the low-country, and about May in the hills. The 

 nest is of the usual tjrpe described in my remarks on the sub- 

 family. It is generally placed in a tuft of long grass or fern, 

 occasionally in a low bush. There are four to six pure white 

 eggs. The shape is a slightly pointed oval. Average size 

 • 66 by • 46. 



Uroloncha striata. 



The White-hacked Munia. 



Uroloncha striata (Oates, Vol. IT., p. 185) ; Munia striata 

 (Legge, p. 660). 



Description. — Forehead and crown blackish with indistinct 

 white shafts ; upper plumage, ear coverts, and sides of neck 

 dark brown, deepening on the tail coverts and wing coverts 

 into blackish, each feather with a white shaft ; a broad white 

 band across the lower back and rump ; wing quills blackish- 

 brown ; tail almost black ; face, chin, throat, fore-neck, and 

 breast deep black ; abdomen and sides of body white ; vent, 

 thighs, and under tail coverts blackish. 



Young birds are more rufous-brown above and the throat 

 and breast are brown with x)aler shafts and margins. 



Bill, upper mandible blackish ; lower bluish ; iris reddish - 

 brown ; legs and feet bluish lead -colour. 



Length 4*5; wing 2 ; tail T 75 ; tarsus ' 55 ; bill from 

 gape '4, 



Distribution. — Common over almost all the low-country. 

 It ascends the hills up to about 2,500 feet ; on the Uva 

 patanas it is found up to about 4,000 feet. In India it occurs 

 south of a line drawn from about Bombay to South-west 

 Bengal. 



Habits. — Not so gregarious as some species. It occurs in 

 small parties, and frequents waste scrubby land, clearings in 

 the jungle, patches of grass in forests, &c. It visits paddy 

 fields when the grain is in ear, and also levies considerable toll 

 on kurakkan chenas. It breeds intermittently, chiefly during 



20 6(17)21 



