THE FINCHES. 91 



The Avadavat is one of the birds most commonly caged 

 in India and has been exported to Europe for centuries ' r 

 indeed, the very name is a corruption of Ahmedabad, 

 the city whence presumably they used to be consigned. 

 The bird, although not frequenting compounds and 

 gardens, is a very common one, being found all over 

 India and Ceylon, and extending east to Singapore and 

 Java. Burmese specimens, and those from Flores and 

 Timor, are considered a distinct species (Sporwginihus 

 flavidiventris), because the males have an orange belly 

 instead of a black one, the ordinary cock Avadavat 

 being very dark below. It is very probable that the 

 light-bellied bird is merely a variety, which has become 

 fixed in some localities. This Burmese bird breeds in 

 October and November, bat the Indian one in the rains 

 as well, having apparently two broods a year. The nest 

 is a round one, placed near the ground, and the eggs are 

 white. The cock has a clear and pretty, though short, 

 little song. 



The Avadavat lives well as a cage or aviary bird, but 

 seldom breeds in confinement. In a cage he should not 

 be crowded up with Munias, which have so much stronger 

 bills, although this is too frequently done. He should 

 have a little egg-food at all times if he will eat it, and 

 plenty of flowering grass, as well as the usual canary and 

 millet. Well treated, these tiny things will live for years. 

 There is only one other Indian Waxbill, the green Avadavat 

 (Stictospiza formosa), whose name denotes its colour ; one 

 or two foreign species are also imported at times, and all 

 these very small birds may well be kept together. 



