SPOB^GINTHUS. 149 



Davison, too, says : " The Amaduvat breeds with us on the 

 Nilghiris from August to November. The nest is a large globular 

 structure of grass, with the entrance to one side and near the top. 

 For the size of the bird this nest is exceedingly large, being quite 

 as large as a man's head. It is composed of fine grass and of 

 nothing else, never being lined with feathers, as that of U. punc- 

 tidata very often is. The eggs, five in number, are pure white." 



Prom Conoor, Mr. Wait remarks that " here they breed from 

 3Iay to September. The nest carefully domed, just like that of 

 U. punctulata, but smaller. It is composed of fine grass, and lined 

 with the same. The eggs usually about five in number." 



Dr. Jerdon states that " the nest is large, made of grass, and 

 placed in a thick bush, or occasionally in long grass or reeds, and 

 the eggs, six to eight in number, are very small, round, and 

 white." 



Mr. Rhodes W. Morgan, writing from South India, says : " It 

 breeds on the Nilghiris in August and September, building a large 

 domed nest of grass, with the entrance in the side. Several 

 females seem to lay in the same nest ; for I have found as many 

 as fourteen eggs in a nest, and have 'seen five birds fly out." 



The eggs of this species are, like those of the whole family, pure 

 white and glossless when blown, more or less pinky white when 

 first found, owing to the partial translucency of the shell. In 

 shape they are oval, and though very broad often a good deal pointed 

 towards one end, and sometimes towards both. In size they are 

 considerably smaller than those of any of the Munias except 

 U. acuticauda, and they are shorter than these even. 



In length they vary from 0'52 to 0-62, and in breadth from O4 

 to 0-46 ; but the average of fifty-six eggs is 0-55 by 0'43. 



739. Sporaeginthus flavidiventris (Wall.). The Burmese 

 Red Munia. 



Estrelda flavidiventris, Wall., Hume, Cat. no. 704 bis. 



Mr. Gates, writing from Pegu, informs us that this species 

 " commences to make its nest about loth October. I have taken 

 the eggs on the 2nd November, and subsequently in the same 

 month. The nest is placed near the ground in soft luxuriant 

 grass. It is a spherical mass of grass, about 6 inches outside dia- 

 meter, with an opening at the side. The majority of the structures 

 are lined with feathers, but a few nests are without them. 



" Six is the maximum number of eggs ; four only are frequently 

 found. They are pure white, with little or no gloss. They 

 measure from 0-53 to 0-59 in length, and from O42 to 0-46 in 

 breadth ; the average of ten eggs is 0'55 by 0'44." 



The eggs are of the usual type, as a rule extremely regular, 

 moderately broad ovals, with occasional abnormal shapes, pure 

 white, and glossless. 



