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The Hen Padda or Rice-Bird. 
T his Bird is altogether of the lame Magnitude and Shape with the 
laft defcrib’d, to which I fuppofe it to be the Hen. It is by the 
People who bring them from Chinas cAVd. the Padda Bird, becaufethey 
are fed with that Grain ; Padda being the Name by which ‘Rice is call’d, 
while the Grain continues in the Husks ; fo that I think the Rice Bird 
not a very improper Name, They are faid very much to annoy the 
Plantations of Rice ; but tho’ I have given it this Name, yet I mull take 
notice thefe Birds 'are of that Tribe or Family of fmall Birds we in Eng- 
land call Finches, tho’ their Bills are larger in Proportion than any of 
that Genus we have with us. I not having Opportunity lof feeing this 
Bird alive, the Defeription may be lefs perfed than the other. It was 
preferv’d in Spirits at Sir Hans Shanes. 
The Bill is of a Flelh-colour, it hath alfo the Eyelids or Skin round 
the Eye of a Flelh-colour ; the Head is wholly Black, wanting the white 
Spots in the Cheeks, which is the principal Difference between this and 
the laft defcrib’d Bird; the Neck, Back, Breaft, and Wings, are of an 
Alh-colour, not fo bright as in the former, the Belly. gradually changing 
into a faint dirtyifli Bloflbm-colour, the Quills fomething darker than the 
Covert-feathers of the Wings ; on the Ridge of the Wing next the Breaft, 
is a white Spot ; the lower Belly, and Coverts under the Tail, are White, 
the Tail is Black, the Legs and Feet of a Flelh-colour ; the Edges of the 
Feathers, as in the other, intermix fo equally, as to appear more like fine 
Hair than Feathers. 
Some People ufing the India Trade, who have feen thefe Birds, call 
tliem Java Sparrows, and others, Indian Sparrows, and affirm they are 
found in “Java-, if fo, it is like they are found in moft of the Countries 
to which our India Company trade ; but I rather believe the Trade be- 
tween China and Java, may have made them as Plenty as Cage-Birds in 
Java, from which fome may have fuppofed them Natives of that Country. 
I have obferv’d Figures of tjiefe Birds very frequently in Chinefe Pidlures, 
which is a pretty convincing Argument they are Natives of China. 
The 
