THE JAVA SPARROW. 
369 
seen in pairs^ but in winter in considerable flocks ; it makes a massive 
globular nest in small trees and shrubs and lays five or six white eggs. 
Occasionally it places its nest in the thatch of a building. The nest may 
be found at almost all periods of the year^ but the majority of the birds 
build during the rains. 
Genus PADDA, Reich, 
PADDA ORYZIVORA. 
THE JAVA SPARROW. 
Loxia oryzivora, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 302. Padda oryzivora, Salvad. Ucc, 
Born. p. 263 ; Hume, Nests and Eggs, p. 454 ; Bl. B. Burnt, p. 92 ; David et Oust. 
Ois. Chine, p. 344 ; Hume Sf Dav. S. F. vi. p. 403 ; Legge, Birds Ceylon, p. 646. 
Amadina oryzivora, Hume, S. F. viii. p. 107. 
Descj'iption. — Male and female. Cheeks and ear-coverts white ; chin, throat, a line 
bordering the ear-coverts, the forehead and the whole top of the head black ; neck, breast, 
upper abdomen, back, scapulars and wings bluish grey ; rump, upper tail-coverts and tail 
black ; abdomen, sides, thighs and vent vinous, paler down the middle ; under tail-coverts 
white. 
Young bird. Top of head and upper back brown ; chin, throat, ear-coverts and cheeks 
buffy white; sides of neck and lower plumage fulvous, darker on the breast ; lower back 
and rump bluish grey ; upper tail-coverts and tail black ; primaries brown ; tertiaries and 
all the coverts fulvous. 
Legs and feet a pale fleshy pink; the bill dark fleshy or rose pink, darkest at the 
base and shading towards tip to a delicate rosy white ; the orbital skin and eyelids 
sometimes a dark reddish, sometimes a rosy pink ; the irides dull lake. {Davison.) 
Length 6*8 inches, tail 2, wing 2'75, tarsus '7, bill from gape '55. The female is of 
much the same size. 
I insert this bird on the authority of Mr. Blyth, who states that it was procured in 
Mergui by Major Berdmore. Mr. Davison did not meet with it in Tenasserim ; and in any 
case it can hard be considered a true inhabitant of Burmah, although it is probable that 
some years i ence it may be quite a common bird in the jungles, as it is in fact in parts of 
China and Japan, Cochin China, Siam, the islands of the Malay archipelago, the Malay 
peninsula, Madras, the Mauritius, the Zanzibar coast and other localities. It is a bird 
which is easily kept in captivity, and it is consequently carried about by sailors and others 
from port to port. Being very hardy it becomes acclimatized; and rapidly increases in 
numbers. Its true home appears to be Java. 
VOL. I. 
2b 
