208 Bird-keeping. 



body are pure white, tipped with black under the wings, 

 so as to give the effect of black scallops on the white 

 plurnage. The beak is of a delicate grey colour, tinged 

 with green. It is not quite so easy to breed as the 

 former species. There is a larger species now becoming 

 common, the Pied Grass Finch (Amadina or Spermestes 

 fringillina), which resembles the smallest Manikin in 

 all but size, being nearly as large as the Cutthroat. 

 All these African Manikins are called by the Germans 

 " Magpie Finches." 



The WHITE-HEADED MANIKIN or NUN (A. or 5. 

 majd) y called also the " Maja Finch," is an Indian bird, 

 chestnut-brown all over the body, with a yellowish- 

 white head, becoming whiter the older the bird grows. 



The BLACK-HEADED FINCH or MALACCA GROS- 

 BEAK (^.or S. Sinmsis) is a chestnut-brown bird with 

 a black head. Another variety (A . or 5. Malaccensis) 

 has the same colouring, except that it has a white 

 stomach. It is known as the " Jacobin " or " Three- 

 coloured Nun." Both birds are found all over India, 

 Ceylon, and Sumatra, and are nearly allied to the 

 Maja, and so is the Australian Chestnut-breasted Reed 

 Finch (which has been already mentioned), which has 

 been known to breed with it. 



There are also some Indian BRONZE MANIKINS 

 (A. or . striata, melanopygia, and acuticauda). The first 

 is much the most common ; it comes from East India 

 and Ceylon. It is a blackish-brown bird, with a black 



