Birds of Celebes : Ploceidae. 
543 
Segeri (Meyer b 11), Manado (Meyer b 11 in Dresd. Mus.); Philiijpines — Mindanao, 
Guiinaras, Ijuzon (Steere b 7, b 19, Mait. Heriot .9), Panay and Samar (Bourns & 
Worcester 14}-, Borneo (Mottley 4, etc., b 5, b n)\ Sumatra (Kaffl. b B, Buxton 9, 
Hagen b 20]-, Singapore (Davison .9); Malay Peninsula (Cantor b 5]-, Oocliin China 
(Pierre 9); Soutli and Central China (David b 8, Styan b 21, etc.); Japan (Brit. 
Mus. .9andDresd. Mus.); Tenasserun (Berdmore b 10, Brit. Mus. .9); S. India near 
Madras (Hume b 10, 10, 11): Ceylon (Legge b 12)-, Mauritius and Reunion (6, 2, 7}\ 
Seychelles (Brit. Mus. 9); Zanzibar (Kirk 7, .9, Finn 13)\ Pangani (Kirk 9); St. 
Helena (Melliss b 2). 
Originally tlie Java Sparyow was most likely a native of tke island of Java 
alone, and owes its presence in other parts of the world, where it is now found 
wild, to the escape of caged specimens or to intentional introduction by man. 
In Java it exists in great numbers. In its more distant localities, such as 
St. Helena, Zanzibar, Bourbon and Mauritius, it is known to have been intro- 
duced, and Legge, Hume, and Oates regard this as the case in Ceylon and 
Madras. Proof of its introduction into Tenasserim may now be impossible to 
obtain. In China the species is to some extent a migrant, showing — if we 
may assume its recent importation there — how readily the habit of migration 
is adopted, without the aid of glacial epochs or anything of the kind. It is 
much appreciated as a cage-bird, not only in Europe, but in China, Ceylon, 
Borneo, and elsewhere. In Labuan Whitehead believes the bird to be an 
importation of the Hon. Hugh Low, and it is now abundant and increasing. 
It is believed by Hagen (b 20) to have been introduced into Sumatra. In 
Celebes itself the species is common near Macassar, but rare in the North, where 
it has only been found by Meyer near Manado. 
The wants of the Java Sparrow are much the same as those of man, the 
grain which the latter cultivates suiting the former very well, and hence the 
readiness with which the bird becomes acclimatized around towns and settlements 
in the East. 
Cases of albinism in this species are very common. 
Munia oryzivora is a very distinct species, easily recognisable by its white 
cheeks and ear-coverts among all other species of Munia, excepting its nearest 
ally, M. fmcata of Timor, which has the fore-neck and breast light chocolate- 
brown, the remaining under-parts whitej, separated from the brown chest by a 
band of black (Sharpe). 
225. MUNIA FORMOSANA Swinh. 
Brown Munia. 
Dark specimens of M. hrunneiceps of Celebes and Borneo intergrade with 
light ones of M.jayori of the Philippines; these forms are, therefore, subspecies. 
M. hrunneiceps again, according to Sharpe, is a subspecies of M. formosana. 
We have no sufficient material for comparing M. atricapilla and rubroniyra of 
