THE SPICE FINCH. 229 



being placed under the trellis, which contained several of their nests, 

 so completely frightened the parents away at one time, that they left 

 their helpless brood without food, and would not return even when the 

 objects of offence were removed. Of course the young, receiving no 

 nourishment all day, became fainter and fainter in their cries for food, 

 and at last died.' 



" Writing from Sooramungalum, in Salem, Mr. A. G. R. Theobald 

 remarks : ' In this district the breeding season is August. They 

 construct a large round nest (some 25 inches in circumference, with a 

 small circular hole on one side as an entrance) of the broad leaves of 

 Cholum (H. sorgum], rice, and barley straw, and in some very thorny 

 bush or tree, commonly selecting the Valum (Acacia sp.}. The nest is 

 lined with barley-beards. I have always found seven eggs, never more. 



" ' The pair generally lay a thick foundation (as we may well call 

 it) of Cholum leaves between the forks of a convenient branch, and 

 then they commence building the proper nest, which is of an immense 

 size compared to the bird, which is about 5^ inches in length. It takes 

 them some days before the nest is properly completed. The pair are 

 always seen to fly out of the nest (during the time of incubation) 

 when disturbed ; but, I cannot say for a certainty, whether they both 

 sit on the eggs or not ; I think they do, as the number of eggs is too 

 great for a single bird to cover. I very seldom found a bad egg 

 amongst the ones which contained young ones. I usually found only a 

 single pair building on a tree, but, occasionally, several build on the same.' 



" Mr. Holdsworth tells us : ' I have seen many nests at Orissa 

 and near Colombo, and have often watched the bird biting off the 

 grass-stems and taking them to the nest, which has generally been a 

 large structure, sometimes placed near the end of a branch, but more 

 commonly in a thick bush.' 



" Colonel E. A. Butler writes : ' I found the Spotted Munia 

 building at Mount Aboo, in September, 1875. 



" ' A pair were building at the top of a palm tree, about 30 or 40 

 feet from the ground, on the 23rd instant, and I found another nest 

 on the 28th instant, the eggs of which had, however, unfortunately 

 been destroyed (probably by ants, as portions of the shell remained at 

 the bottom of the nest).' 



" Writing from the plains of Pegu, Mr. Eugene Gates says : 

 ' This species builds generally in July and August, but a few nests 

 are found throughout the year. It is common all along the Irrawaddy 

 valley, and nests chiefly in thorny bushes, almost always within the 

 reach of the hand. 



