MUNIA MALABABICA. 663 



outer web ; rump and upper tail-coverts white, the bases of the feathers brown, and the outer webs of the longer 

 coverts blackish brown ; a narrow supercilium, face, ear-coverts, and all beneath white, shaded on the flanks with 

 brownish grey or fawn-colour. 

 In some examples the lower flanks are very faintly barred with pale fawn-colour; some are darker than others above. 



Obs. Some Indian examples show a greater tendency to barring on the flanks ; notably one from Behar. As regards size : 

 a skin from Madras measures 2-15 inches ; another from N.~W. Himalayas 2 - 2 ; one from Behar 2-1, tail 1-9 (this 

 example is darker on the head than my birds ; the two others are very pale on the back). Mr. Cripps, in his paper 

 on the avifauna of Furreedpore, gives the following measurements : — tf , length 4-83 inches ; expanse 6'8 ; wing 2 - l ; 

 tail from vent 1-92; tarsus - 56 ; bill from gape 0-42 ; weight 0-66 oz. The specimen from N.W. Himalayas, 

 collected by Capt. Pin well, has the fulvous of the lower flanks quite unmarked. 



Distribution. — This is essentially a bird of the dry climate of Ceylon ; wherever the little Finch-Lark 

 [Pyrrhulauda grisea) is to be found the Plain Brown Munia is likely to he met with. Its distribution is there- 

 fore local, and it is chiefly confined to open districts in the maritime regions of the north, east, and south- 

 east. It is found around the west coast as far as the Chilaw district ; but south of this place, where the 

 heavier rainfall line is passed, its range does not extend ; and I have never seen it anywhere between that 

 point and Tangalla : here the dry coast-region is again entered upon, and it becomes tolerably common. I 

 have met with it in various parts of the eastern side, and at Trincomalie it is not uncommon. It is numerous, 

 according to Mr. Holdsworth, at Aripu ; and I have seen it there and at Manaar and further up the coast, 

 while at Jaffna and the islands it is common. In the interior of the northern forest tract it may be met with 

 in suitable localities ; but I do not know that it extends into the hills at all. 



In India it is a bird of wide distribution both in the peninsula and in the northern parts, being abundant in 

 the hot dry regions of the west, but not extending to the eastward of the Bay of Bengal. According to Jerdon, 



flanks, and under tail-coverts black, washed, except on the latter, with crimson ; tail black, the two outer feathers 

 on each side tipped white. 



After the breeding-season the male assumes the plumage of the female. 



An example shot in January at Colombo has the forehead and supercilia red, aud the feathers of the hind neck and 

 back tipped with crimson ; upper tail-coverts crimson, some of the feathers with small white spots ; chest and 

 throat crimson, mingled with partially white feathers, and the breast blackish, washed with crimson, and barred 

 and otherwise marked with white ; the flanks and sides of breast spotted with white. 



Another, probably a bird of the year, has the supercilia aud upper tail-coverts as the above, but the lower back and 

 hind neck uniform olive-brown ; the under surface chiefly white ; the feathers of the fore neck in various stages 

 of change to red, those of the breast turning black ; the under tail-covert feathers changing from white to black. 



Both these examples are assuming the breedmg-dress by a change of feather, and not by a moult. Jerdon remarks 

 that this species moults twice a year. 



Female. Similar in size to the male. 



Brown above, the orbital fringe white, as in the male, and the lores black ; the rump and upper tail-coverts washed 

 with crimson ; beneath brownish, tinged with fulvous yellow on the lower parts. 



Young. " Brown above, paler beneath, whitish on the throat and belly ; tail blackish, and a few small white spots on 

 the wings " {Jerdon). 



Distribution. — In 1870, when I detected this little bird in the vicinity of Colombo, I was under the impression, as it 

 had not been before noticed in Ceylon, that it owed its visit to the island to the agency of man — in short, that it had been 

 liberated from ships calling at the port. I have since become aware that it wanders about a good deal in India, appearing 

 suddenly in districts, remaining for some time, and then departing ; and as it occurs in the south of the peninsula it is 

 possible that it may have been driven down to Ceylon by the north-west wind which had been blowing before I first 

 discovered it in January 1870. I have no evidence in support of either theory, and therefore I adopt that which appears 



