FOR NORTHERN INDIA 15 



Some of the sand-martins (Cotyle sinensis), 

 likewise, are engaged in family duties. The 

 river bank in which a colony of these birds is 

 nesting is the scene of much animation. The 

 bank is riddled with holes, each of which, being 

 the entrance to a martin's nest, is visited a 

 score of times an hour by the parent birds, 

 bringing insects captured while flying over the 

 water. 



Some species of munia breed at this time 

 of the year. The red munia, or amadavat, 

 or lal (Estrelda amandava) is, next to the 

 paroquet, the bird most commonly caged in 

 India. This little exquisite is considerably 

 smaller than a sparrow. Its bill is bright 

 crimson, and there is some red or crimson in 

 the plumage more in the cock than in the 

 hen, and most in both sexes at the breeding 

 season. The remainder of the plumage is 

 brown, but is everywhere heavily spotted with 

 white. In a state of nature these birds affect 

 long grass, for they feed largely, if not entirely, 

 on grass seed. The cock has a sweet voice, 

 which, although feeble, is sufficiently loud to 

 be heard at some distance and is frequently 

 uttered. 



The nest of the amadavat is large for the size 



