The Mannikin Family. 43 



and, unlike the Nuns, it breeds freely in the aviary, 

 but is just as amiable as they are. The upper part 

 is fawn colour, the wings and tail are a shade darker, 

 and the lower part of the body is greyish-white ; 

 the bill is bluish-grey with a silvery tinge, whence the 

 name. Food : millet, sorghum, and canary-seed. 



THE BRONZE-WINGED MANNIKIN, or HOODED 

 FlNCH, Munia cucullata (illustrated at Fig. 12), is 

 a pretty little bird, smaller than any of the preceding 



FIG. 12. THE BRONZE-WINGED MANNTKIN. 



The head is black, as are also the throat, wings, and 

 back, but shining with various shades of metallic sheen ; 

 the chest is white. Male and female are alike, and will 

 breed freely in the aviary. Feed like the preceding. 



There are several other less known species, which 

 space will only permit me to name, viz., THE BAR- 

 BREASTED MANNIKIN, M. nisoria ; THE CHESTNUT- 

 BELLIED MANNIKIN, M. rubro-nigra ; THE TOPELA 

 MANNIKIN, or FINCH, M. topela, &c. 



