THE THREE-COLOURED MANNIKIN. 235 



usually import them, rarely learn by experience that over-crowding is 

 as bad for these little creatures as for human beings. The consignment, 

 from which I obtained my five examples, was a very small one, and 

 all of them arrived in perfect health and plumage ; in fact, they were 

 by far the most beaiitiful representatives of the species that I had ever 

 seen : they agree well with Gouldian Finches, and pair with them 

 readily. 



Illustration from living examples in the author's collection. 



THE THREE-COLOURED MANNIKIN. 



Munia Malacca, LINN. 



AN inhabitant of Central and Southern India and Ceylon, the 

 Three-coloured Mannikin is largely imported, and consequently 

 is one of the birds best known to amateurs. Tt is a very handsome 

 species, though of the heavy build, with the stately movements, 

 ridiculous dances, and almost inaudible song, peculiar to the typical 

 Mannikins. 



The entire head, neck, and chest of this species are jet black ; the 

 back, wings, and croup chestnut, but the primaries somewhat greyish, 

 except along the margins of the outer webs ; upper tail-coverts deep 

 reddish-chocolate, with opalescent or silvery gloss, tail-feathers distinctly 

 brighter, almost approaching a brick-red, but dusky in the centre, and 

 with a similar silvery lustre to tail-coverts ; breast and sides pure 

 white, but the whole centre of abdomen and under tail-coverts, as well 

 as the thighs, black ; flights below ashy, with a narrow edging of 

 chestnut to the outer primary ; tail-feathers below greyish. Length 

 4f inches. Beak clear bluish-grey ; legs leaden-grey ; iris brown. 



The female is decidedly smaller (4-^ inches), the head is of a dead 

 black, in fact the whole colouring of the upper parts is less lively, the 

 flight-feathers much greyer, the croup paler, the upper tail-coverts and 



