48 BIRDS OF THE PLAINS 



placed inside the cage and the flap again set. In this 

 manner a dozen or more amadavats can be captured in 

 an hour. As nine red munias are sold for a rupee, and 

 as they will live for years in captivity and cost next to 

 nothing to keep, it is not surprising that they are 

 popular pets. 



Moreover, the amadavat is no mean songster. "Eha" 

 is, I think, a little severe on the bird when he states 

 that ''fifty in a cage make an admirable chorus." The 

 bird is small, so is its voice, but what there is of the 

 latter is exceedingly sweet. Were its notes only louder 

 the bird would be in the first rank as a songster. A rip- 

 pling stream of cheery twitters emanates unceasingly 

 from a cage of munias. The birds seem never to tire. 

 The cock frequently utters, in addition to this perpetual 

 twitter, a warble of five or six notes. The birds love to 

 huddle together in a row on a perch and twitter in 

 chorus. Suddenly the chorus ceases ; one of the birds 

 raises his head above the level of the others and sings a 

 solo, while the rest listen in silence with the air of 

 connoisseurs. When he has finished, another bird has a 

 "turn," then another. The whole performance always 

 puts me in mind of one of those impromptu concerts 

 which soldiers are so fond of getting up. 



Quite apart from their song, munias afford him 

 who keeps them much pleasure, because they are 

 most amusing birds to watch. They are very fond 

 of heat. They are happiest when the thermometer 

 stands at about a hundred. When they huddle 

 together for the sake of warmth, all are content except 

 the two end birds, who are kept warm only on one 



