236 FOREIGN FINCHES IN CAPTIVITY. 



tail-feathers far duller and with much less opalescent gloss. In addition 

 to these characters, which can all be seen in the dried skins, Mr. 

 Abrahams gives the character of a weaker beak, narrower at the base : 

 this distinction, however, is more noticeable in life, the beaks of birds 

 being usually more or less distorted in prepared skins. 



Youngish males, both in size and colouring, more nearly resemble 

 the female ; but birds of the year, before their moult into the adult 

 plumage, are rufous-brown, with the head more dusky ; the flight- 

 feathers dusky, reddish-brown externally ; tail-feathers dark brown ; 

 under surface sordid buff, with the chin whitish and the throat greyish. 



The Indian name for this species is " Nukl-nore " : Jerdon states 

 that he observed it "in the Carnatic, frequenting long reeds and 

 grass, by the side of rivers, and in the table-land in similar situations, 

 though more rare, and most numerous in the wooded region of the 

 west coast, frequenting grain-fields in large flocks, along with the 

 White-rumped Finch (M. striata, Linn^" 



" The Black-headed Munia* is chiefly found in Southern India 

 and Ceylon, a few stragglers occurring in Central India, and even in 

 Bengal occasionally. It is very abundant in parts of Southern India, 

 especially on the Malabar coast, frequenting long grass by the sides 

 of rivers and tanks, occasionally dry grain fields, and very commonly 

 sugar-cane fields. It often associates in very large flocks. The nest 

 is usually placed among reeds, in tanks, or in the beds of rivers ; 

 occasionally in long grass in the bunds of paddy-fields. It is a rather 

 large, nearly round or oval nest, neatly, but loosely made of grass, 

 with the hole at one side, this in general being very artfully concealed, 

 by the interlacing of the fibres of grass, so that I have been puzzled 

 for a few moments to discover the entrance ; and the eggs, four to six 

 in number, are pure white." 



Hume says : " Our Indian bird breeds in many localities in 

 Southern India, but though the eggs have been sent to me by many 

 correspondents, only one or two have favoured me with any notes on 

 its nidification." 



Mr. A. G. R. Theobald writes : - " I found the nests near 

 Pothanore, in the Coimbatore District, during the latter half of October. 

 They were placed amongst reeds growing in a small pond ; they were 

 round, with a round hole in one side for an entrance, and were com- 

 posed of dry reeds and leaves of some flag-leaved grass very like those 

 of the Choluni ( 'Sorghum vulgar ej . The lining was composed of the 



* This is Jerdon's name for the Three-coloured Mannikin ; not, as one might imagine, the 

 " Black-headed Mannikin." A.G.B. 



