the Bii'ds of Mauritius. 91 



]\fartin, a kind of bird brought liere from India^ wliich has 

 multiplied in a very extraordinary manner, has destroyed 

 them : it is certain that these birds feed upon them with 

 avidity when they are just produced and before they have 

 wings/^ 



The Myuah is now one of the commonest birds of 

 Mauritius and is said to do a great deal of good in keeping 

 down insect pests. It is protected by law. 



The birds are found not only among human habitations 

 but in the cane-tields and forest. 1 have found them breeding 

 in wells, chimneys, eaves, hollow trees, tangled creepers, and 

 in one instance in the breech of an old muzzle-loading gun at 

 Yacoas. 



Large flocks of these birds congregate in the evening and 

 fly off to the hills to roost. 



Several bulf-coloured and albino varieties are in the Port 

 Louis Museum. 



18. * MUNIA ORYZIVORA. 



Mimia oryzivora Sharpe, Cat. Birds, xiii. p, 328. 



Moineau de Chine or Calfat. 



Java Sparrow. 



Introduced from the ]Malay Archipelago about 1750. By 

 17G5 they had increased to such an extent that whole fields of 

 corn were destroyed. In 1771 a kind of toll in heads of 

 this species was levied on the inhabitants of Mauritius, 

 whilst in 1804 it was suggested tliat Sparrow-Hawks should 

 be introduced to kill them off! 



The bird no longer exists here. As practically no grain 

 is now grown in the island, the bird's natural food has 

 disappeared, which accounts for its complete disappearance. 



19. *MUNIA PUNCTULATA NISORIA. 



Subsp. 7. Munia nisoria Sharpe, Cat. Birds, xiii. p. 310. 



Coutil or Pingo. 



Introduced from Java about 1800. 



Fairlv well distributed throu<rliout the island. 



