ESTRELDINiE. 359 



possession of deserted nests of the Weaver-bird ; and that the 

 cry of this bird is " cheet, cheet, cheet" uttered simultaneously by 

 flocks in flight." 



" This bird is very commonly tamed, and a pair," says Buchanan 

 Hamilton, " always being kept in the same cage, each bird has a 

 small cord fastened round its body, and the owner, holding one 

 bird by the cord, throws up the other, which always returns and 

 sits by its companion." 



Besides the Asiatic species already referred to, there are several 

 others from Malay ana. M. maja, L., from Malacca and the isles; 

 M. ferruginosa, Latham, from Java, both with white heads, but 

 otherwise like M. rubronigra ; and M. leucogastra, Blyth, from 

 Malacca, is another species. Donacola, an Australian group, is 

 very close to Mania in structure and mode of coloration. The well 

 known Java sparrow, Oryzivora leucotis, Blyth, PL Enl. 388, has 

 the bill more lengthened than in Mania, but still very thick, and 

 bright cherry red, thus leading to the next group. So many birds 

 of this species have escaped from cages at Madras, that, I am in- 

 formed it is to be seen wild in the neighbourhood. 



The next birds have the bill more slender, and waxy red. 



Gen. Estrelda, Swainson. 



Char. — Bill much more slender than in Munia ; the culmen 

 less arched and flattened at the base, more compressed throughout, 

 deep red color ; tail soft and graduated ; feet moderate. Of still 

 smaller size, and more delicate conformation. 



In the form of their beak the Wax-bills, as Blyth calls them, 

 deviate towards the Finches and Linnets, as the Munias do towards 

 the Grosbeaks. There are two Indian species, one or two in 

 Australia, and many in Africa. 



704. Estrelda amandava, Linnaeus. 



Fringilla, apud Linnaeus — Sykes, Cat. 105 — Jerdon, Cat. 175 

 — Blyth, Cat. 637 — Horsi<\, Cat. 7o6 — Amaduvade Finch, 

 Edwards, Birds, PL 355, f. 1 — Lai (the male), Mania (the female,) 

 H. — generally called Lai munia — Y&rrajinmoayi, Tel. — Amaduvad 

 of Europeans. 



