512 
CATALOGUE. 
Striated Grrosbeak, Latham. 
Shakaei Munia, Bengal, Blyth. 
Tau-tsa (^. e. Forest Sparrow), Arracan, BlytJi. 
A. h. Dukhun. Presented by Colonel Sykes. 
c. S. India. From the Asiatic Society of Bengal. 
" I observed this species in the Malabar coast and the "Wynaad, 
frequenting grain-fields, open spaces in the jungle, and occasionally 
on the road-sides, and even in stable-yards, feeeding on the various 
kinds of grain and seeds. It lives in small communities of six or 
eight, or more." — (Jerdon.) 
Colonel Sykes states that " the sexes of this bird are alike." 
In the Asiatic Researches, Mr. Hodgson remarks, " Munia, the 
name we have assigned to these birds, is well known to the Tarai 
and to the Hills as the generic appellation of several species of tiny 
grossbills, distinguished for their familiarity with man, their gre- 
garious habits, their depredations upon the rice-crops, and their 
ingenious nests. 
" The species {M. rubroniger^ acuticauda, and lineoventer) are 
solitary in regard to nidification; but, after the breeding season, 
they are all gregarious in a greater or less degree. They are ex- 
clusively graminivorous, feeding on hard grass-seeds or cerealia, 
according as one or the other are procurable ; and they fix their 
large globular nests either among the spiny leaves of the palm-trees, 
or the thick interlaced branches of the lesser bamboos. But there 
is no weaving or sewing employed in the structure of the nest ; it is 
merely a large ball, laid against or upon naturally-blended branches, 
or stiff leaves, and having a small round entrance either on the side 
or at top. The eggs are many, and in M. rubroniger are of a 
bluish- white colour. These birds are easily tamed and caged, but 
they have no song. 
" The whole species are migratory, appearing in June and de- 
parting in iS'ovember. Many of them breed in my grounds, and are 
solitary, so far as I have observed. The nest is composed of grass- 
fibres, or leaves of the Finns longifolia, and is usually constructed in 
the midst of the small Chinese bamboo or of the dog-rose. The 
male and female labour at the work with equal assiduity, and share 
equally the task of rearing the young. In winter and spring, they 
resort to the lower region, returning to us to breed just as the rains 
