360 birds of india. 



The Red Wax-bill. 



Descr. — The male in full summer plumage is more or less 

 crimson, darkest on the throat, breast, supercilia, cheeks, and 

 upper tail coverts ; tail black, the outer feathers more or less 

 white tipped ; wings brown ; a range of minute white feathers 

 beneath the eye, and the wing, flanks and sides of breast, with 

 numerous round white spots, and a few smaller specks on the 

 back ; abdominal region infuscated ; lower tail-coverts black. 



Bill deep red, the upper mandible black above ; irides crimson ; 

 feet fleshy. Length about 4 inches; wing 1| ; tail If. 



The female is olive-brown above, with the lores blackish, 

 bounded by a whitish semi-circle below the eye ; a few white 

 specks occasionally on the back ; rump and upper tail-coverts 

 tinged with crimson ; beneath paler brown, the abdomen strongly 

 tinged with fulvous yellow ; the lower tail-coverts dull white. 

 The young is brown above, paler beneath, whitish on the throat 

 and belly, tail blackish, and a few small white specks on the 

 wings. After breeding the males assume, by moulting, a plumage 

 similar to that of the female. 



The Amaduvad {par excellence') is found throughout all India, 

 more rare in the South, abundant in the North. In the south of 

 India, I have seen it tolerably frequent on the lower hills of 

 the Neilgherries, in Mysore, here and there throughout the 

 Carnatic, but rare in the Deccan and the bare table-land 

 generally. It is more common in Central India, and abundant 

 in Oudh and in Lower Bengal, extending into the lower ranges of 

 the Himalayas, as well as to Assam and Burmah. 



It frequents bushy ground, gardens, and especially sugar-cane 

 fields, and long grass, associating in large flocks, except towards 

 the end of the rains, at which season it breeds. The nest is 

 large, made of grass, and placed in a thick bush, or occasionally 

 in long grass or reeds, and the eggs, six to eight in number, are 

 very small, round, and white. This species moults twice a year, 

 the male after breeding assuming the plumage of the female. 

 Large numbers are taken in many parts of the country and caged. 

 The male has a pleasant little song, and it is also said to fight 

 with much spirit, for which purpose it is kept by the natives. The 



