THE JAVA SFAEBOW 
Munia orisii'ora {Linn.) 
Malay name: — Jglatek, 
Descnpiion : — At a distance of a few yards this appears to 
be a small bird of about sparrow size and almost entirely pale, 
delicate grey in colour but with a black and white head. 
The upper parts of the head, the chin and the tail are 
black; the sides of the head white. All the rest of the plumage 
is pale grey except the abdomen which is dull pink becoming 
whitish in the centre. 
The sexes are similar in plumag^e and nni to about 5A 
inches in length with a wing of about 2f inches. 
The iris is red and the feet and bill pink. 
Dtstributioii: — Owing to the fact that this is a very 
common cage-bird being kept not only by natives in the east but 
also commonly imported into other parts of the world it is 
rather difficult to decide as to the natural range of the species. 
It is common in Java, Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula. 
[The Java sparrow is ver^^ common in the neighbourhood 
of Singapore and with its bright red beak, dove grey plumage 
and white cheeks is tie doubt familiar to everyone. It is 
known also as the rice-bird and sometimes as the paddy*bird. 
Very noisy and pugnacious it behaves much like the ordin- 
ary sparrow squatting and chattering round the eaves and roofs 
of houses which it fancies and unlike rnost weavers not svispend- 
mg its nest from a branch, but building a round structure in 
a tree or even in a recess in the ornamental masonry of a 
private dwelling: it lays white eggs. It is caught and exposed 
for sale in hundreds tn the bird-shops where it can be bought 
for a few cents. Though often kept it is rather a nuisance in 
an aviary as it worries other birds and tears up their attempts 
[208] 
