JAVA SPARROW. 



183 



JAVA SPARROW OR RICE-BIRD. 



(Mania (Padda) oryzivora). 



The crown of the head, nape, margin of neck, and 

 chin are black ; the cheeks pure white, frequently 

 changing into black ; the back and breast pearl-grey ; 

 primaries leaden grey; belly dove-brownish, sometimes 

 moulting into pearl-grey ; 'under tail-coverts white ; 

 tail black ; beak rose colour, edged and tipped with 

 white ; iris of eyes reddish-brown ; lids red ; legs flesh 

 coloured. The female is distinctly smaller than the 

 male, has a narrower crown, a narrower and more regu- 

 larly tapering beak, not so deep at the base. With a 

 little practice it become^ quite easy to select a pair. 

 Hab., Java, Sumatra and Malacca, but introduced into 

 many other countries. 



The nest in a wild state is a large spherical struc- 

 ture placed in trees, thorny bushes, or creepers. It is 



With white birds, on the other hand, breeding could 

 always be accomplished because (probably for centuries) 

 they have been bred in boxes. I failed to breed Java 

 Sparrows until I crossed a wild cock bird with a white 

 hen. The offspring from these birds varied not a 

 littJe, some being pure greys like their father, others 

 pied grey and white in all degrees. Since that time I 

 have bred nearly every year, and have selected pairs 

 from my stock with which other aviculturists have 

 bred successfully. The white blood, and the fact that 

 the yoking are 'born and brought up in a nest-box, seem 

 at once to ensure a similar form of nidification in these 

 home-bred birds. 



In spite of the white blood which they inherit, I 

 believe that selected greys will always throw greys ; 

 bat the purest white stock will also 'sometimes throw 

 pure greys ; indeed, the brother of my pure white bird 



JAVA SPARROWS. 



formed of grasses, and has the entrance hole in front. 

 Six to eight white eggs are deposited. 



The song of this bird is always rather musical, includ- 

 ing several soft little trills. There is a great deal of 

 difference between that of the wild grey type and of 

 the white domesticated form developed by the Chinese. 



Owing to the immense mischief which this species 

 does to the rice crops it is also known by the names of 

 Bice-bird and Paddy- bird. Wherever it has been intro- 

 duced it has increased and 1 become a nuisance, just as 

 our English Sparrow has done. Not that the Rice-bird 

 is a Sparrow ; dt is only so called because it is the 

 familiar bird of the streets and the grain fields in the 

 East. 



Although it is possible to purchase newly-imported 

 grey birds at a ridiculously low price, it is of little 

 use to attempt to breed with these, excepting in a 

 netted-in garden, where natural nesting sites abound. 

 Previous to 1870 it appears not to have been bred even 

 in Germany, the wild birds not understanding, appa- 

 rently, the meaning of the box-like nesting receptacle. 



(the mother ot my stock) in the mest was not distin- 

 guishable from a wild grey bird, though both its 

 parents were pure white. 



Some years ago one of my neighbours purchased a 

 pair of white Java, Sparrows, and turned them into a 

 smallish aviary in his greenhouse, but they made no 

 attempt at breeding. Eventually he became so dis- 

 gusted that he caught them, and brought them to me, 

 saying that he believed he had been taken in, and that 

 they were two cocks. I looked at them, and assured 

 him that they were unquestionably a pair. However, 

 he was not satisfied, and told me I could have them at 

 half what he had paid for them. I accepted, and turned 

 them out in my bird-room; and that year they reared 

 nine beautiful white youngsters. You can fancy my 

 friend's disgust when he saw them! 



Canary, millet, and oats are the best seeds for this 

 bird; soft food should be added when breeding com- 

 mences which may be at any season. The Java Spar- 

 row is 'absolutely hardy and very long-lived, especially 

 if home-bred. 



