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 together on the same perch. Its 

 call-note, which one frequently hears, is a clear uit-wit- 

 wit. I 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 most half a foot, 

 above the ground ; sometimes in a small shrub standing 

 between the Alang-Alang ; sometimes it is built amo'r>.g 

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

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

 entrance 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 composed exclusively of blades and fibres 

 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 gave to the whole structure a some- 

 what 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 at the London Zoo- 

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

 collection; it ought to be freely imported. 



BLACK-HEADED MANNIKIN (Minna atricapiUa). 



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 

 stripe from the chest to the root of the tail, including 

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

 in colouring, and the black stripe is partly obscured by 

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

 longer and narrower heak. The young is dull brown, 

 slightly tinged on the rump with rufous ; the chin, 

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

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

 Himalayas, Central India, Burma, and Malaysia. 



In its native haunts the Black-headed Man-nikin makes 

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

 grasses. The structure is usually spherical, with 

 entrance hole in front, and is suspended in long grass, 

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

 season appears (on the testimony of various observers) 

 to extend from April to August, and the num'ber of 

 white eggs 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 is 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 bo 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 first 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, was similar to that of the Sumatran Manni- 

 kin. distinguished by this character alone from the 

 Indian species, 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 if. 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 lose their lives throug'n 

 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:it'e 

 length with a sharp pair of scissors. 



THBEE-COLOIIRKD MANNIKIN (Munia malacca). 

 The head, neck, front of breast, centre of belly, thigh.?, 

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

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

 chocolate ; the inner webs of the flight feathers <lar'c 

 rufous-brown ; sides and back of chest, and sid< 

 abdomen, snow white; bill bluish white; feet dark 



THE THREE-COLOURED MANNIKIN. 

 (Head and shoulders of mal".) 



leaden grey ; irides hazel. Female smaller than male, 

 the black of a deader character, hot glossy ; the entire 

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

 coverts and tail duller and less opalescent ; beak weaker. 

 .Hah., 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 pond's, tanks, or marshy 

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

 or oval, with'a circular front entrance, and is formed of 

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

 linVd with iinei' grass and frequently the flowering 

 stalks. The white eggs vary in number from four to 

 seven, but four is the usual clutch. The birds are said 

 to be very destructive to the rice crops. 



Although, like most of the Munia*, "this bird is an 

 assiduous" builder, neither Dr. Puiss nor I ever succi 

 in -breeding it in cage Or aviary. It is, however, one 

 of the prettiest .(' the commoner Mannikins, and for 

 that reason I have never been long without sped 

 in my Collection. To anyone with a lar-e uarden .1 . 

 I would recommend that a few yards should he sown 

 with coarse-leaved grasse .'tid an attempt made 



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

 beliove thai a very prettv hybrid might be produced. 



The sonu is vei'v feeble, and not uvdike that of the 

 Spice Finch, but I have not found .17. malacca so fre- 

 quent a singer as the other Mannikins. 



