MUNIA MALACCA. 



(THE BLACK-BELLIED MUNIA.) 



Coccothraustes javancnsis, Brisson, Orn. iii. p. 237 (1770). 



Loxia malacca, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 302 (1766). 



Spermestes malacca, Jerdon, Cat. B. S. Ind., Madr. Journ. 1839, xi. p. 27. 



Amadina malacca, Blyth, J. A. S. B. 1846, xv. p. 285 ; Kelaart, Prodromus, Cat. p. 12-3 



(1852); Layard, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. 1854, xiii. p. 258. 

 Munia malacca, Blyth, Cat. B. Mus. A. S. B. p. 116 (1849); Jerdon, B. of Ind. ii. p. 352 



(18G3) ; Holdsw. P. Z. S. 1872, p. 464 ; Hume, Nests and Eggs, ii. p. 443 ; Legge, Ibis, 



1874, p. 25, et 1875, p. 398. 

 White-breasted Indian Sparrow, Edwards, Gleanings, p. 301, pi. 355. 

 Malacca Grosbeak, Latham ; Malacca Finch, Kelaart ; Black-headed Munia, Jerdon ; The 



Chestnut-backed Munia of some; Paddy-bird, Ortolan in Ceylon. Nakal-nor, Hind.; 



Nulla jinuwai/i, Telugu (Jerdon). 

 We-kin-i'Jla, Sinhalese ; Tinna kuruvi, Tamils ; Pastro de Neli, Portuguese in Ceylon. 



Adult male. Length 4'6 to 4-S inches : wing 2-1 to 2-3 ; tail 1-5 to 1*6 ; tarsus 0-7 ; middle toe and claw 0-05 to 

 0-8; bill to gape 0-45, at front 05, height at nostril 0-34 ; hind toe 0-35, claw (straight) 0-3. Birds from the 

 hills appear to average larger than low-country individuals. 



MUNIA KUBBCmGEA. 



(THE CHESTNUT-BELLIED MUNIA.) 



Munia rubronigra, Hodgson, As. Res. xix. p. 153 (1836); Blyth, Cat. B. Mus. A. S. B. p. 116 (1849); Holdsw. 



P. Z. S. 1872, p. 464 ; Layard, P. Z. S. 1873, p. 205 ; Legge, Ibis, 1874, p. 25. 

 A nun I'm, i rubronigra, Layard, Ann. it Mag. Nat. Hist. 1854, xiii. p. 258. 



Munia atricapiU<t (Vieill.), Hume, Nests and Eggs, ii. p. 444 (1874); Salvadori, Ucc. d. Born. p. 265 (1874). 

 Pora Munia ; Nuk nml at Mussouri (Blyth). 



Adult male and female. Length " 4 - 5 inches " (Jerdon) ; wing 2-1 to 2-2; tail 1*6; tai - sus0-65; middle toe 06, claw 



(straight) 0-2 ; bill to gape 0-42, height at nostril 0"3. 

 "Iris brown; bill and feet plumbeous"' (Jerdon). 

 Entire head, neck, and upper chest jet-black ; rest of body and wings dark chestnut, changing abruptly into dull black 



on the centre of the lower breast, abdomen, and under tail-coverts, and blending into the dark maroon of the upper 



tail-coverts ; tail chestnut-brown, the feathers margined near the tips with paler maroon than the coverts. 

 This species differs from M. malacca merely in the chestnut colouriug of the under surface, having the head, neck, and 



black lower-surface patch the same. 



Young (N.W. Himalayas : Pinwell). Above brown, tinged with rufous on the back aud rump; the throat white; 

 chest and Hanks rufescent fulvous, paling on the centre of the breast ; thighs brownish rufous. 



Obs. Doubts exist whether Vieillot's name atricapilla (Ois. Chant. 84, pi. 53) applies to this bird or not. I retain 

 Hodgson's name, however, as the species only takes a doubtful place among the ornis of Ceylon. 



Distribution. — Layard remarks (he. cit.) that he found this Munia about Gralle ; but as it has never since been seen 

 in Ceylon, and is a bird which does not strictly belong to the south of India, its presence in the Galle district must have 



