All Rights Reserved 
July, 1918 
BIRD 
NOTES: 
THE 
JOURNAL OF THE FOREIGN BIRD CLUB. 
The Spice Finch. 
Munia punciulata. 
By Wesley T. Page, F.Z.S., etc. 
In normal times this pretty and hardy mannikin is one of 
the most freely imported of foreign birds and to be very cheaply 
obtained; prices ranging" from 12s. per dozen to 3s. 6d. to 
4s. 6d. per pair. In these war-times one and even two giuneas 
per pair has been asked and obtained — the law of supply and 
demand being responsible for such fancy figures; arising prin- 
cipally from the prohil:)ition of the import, of live birds, other 
than game birds, for the duration of the war — there we can 
leave this topic and merely consider the attributes, demeanour, 
and pleasing or other qualities of this species, together with 
a sketch of their life history, both in their native wilds and in 
the aviary. 
Our member, Mrs. A. M. Cook, has kindly provided us 
with a frontispiece, figuring a pair of the Common Spice Fincli 
in a most, characteristic attitude, and these notes are written to 
accompany the drawing. 
One may almo.st say that there are .Spice Finches and 
Spice Finches; there most certainly are several local races or 
sub-species, with divergent and more or less clearly defined plu- 
matic marking, but, there are these dominatin.g features in rhem 
all : (a) More or less deep nutme.g-brown being the principal 
colouration of the upper-parts, and (b) the more or less regu- 
larly scaled (or laced) under-parts. 
The popular names of the species, too, are quite numer- 
ous, and while certain of these should be grouped against 
certain forms, they are only too often used indiscriminately, 
and in consequence this loose habit has occasioned much per- 
plexity, especially to the tyro. The following cognomens — 
Spice, Topela, Bar-breasted, Malayan, Spice and Nutmeg 
