WE A VER- BIRDS — MUNI AS 



185 



shadowing native huts. The lire-weavers, widow-birds, and velvet-weavers, on the 



other hand, inhabit the plains, where they nest in high grass. 



Although mainly African, the weaver-birds are represented by two Oriental 



genera, among them being the eastern baya (Ploceus megalorhynchu*), which ranges 



from Bengal and the eastern Himalaya to the islands of Java and Sumatra. The 



bottle-like nest of this species is built of grass, with an entrance-tube from below of 



as much as 24 inches in r 



length ; it is often seen 



hanging from the eaves 



of the native houses in 



Assam, where the bird is 



known as the took-ra. 



In their 

 Muiiias. 



habits mun- 



ias resemble finches more 

 than others of their kin- 

 dred, but are quicker in 

 their movements. In the 

 breeding-season the flocks 

 of these birds break up 

 into single pairs ; each of 

 which constructs a large 

 spherical nest of fine 

 grasses — not woven but 

 untidily packed together 

 — with an entrance -hole 

 at the side. One of the 

 best known representa- 

 tives of the group is the 

 Indian red munia or am- 

 andavat {Sporceginlhus 

 amandava), better known 

 perhaps as the abadavat, 

 a small crimson bird with 

 brown wings, and ' num- 

 erous circular white spots 

 on the sides of the body. 

 The allied Burmese species 



(S. flavidiventris) is distinguished by the yellowish red, instead of black, under- 

 pays. 



Another well-known member of the group is the Indian rice-bird (S 

 oryzivorus), which is about the size of a goldfinch, and inhabits the Malay 

 Peninsula and Isles. It is of light grey colour above, and a pale red below, in 

 contrast to which the black crown, chin, upper tail-coverts, and tail, as well as the 

 white lower tail-coverts, the black edges of the cheeks, and the red of the beak, 

 stand out conspicuously. Despite the fact that its song is often by no means 



MALAY GRACKLE. 



