Birds of Celebes: Plooeidae. 
547 
breast; back and wings deep broccoli-brown, with slightly paler terminal edgings; 
rump and upper tail-coverts dark glossy maroon, the longest upper tail-coverts 
much lighter-, under tail-coverts glossless maroon; lower breast, under wing- 
coverts, sides, flanks, abdomen, and thighs cinnamon-nrfous (cf. Macassar, 
15. VI. 95: Sarasin Coll.). 
Another male is purer white on neck and jugulum. 
Adult female. Like the male, but has the nape and the hind neck more strongly shaded 
with brown ($, Macassar, 12. YII. 95, with nest and eggs: P. &F. S.). 
Measurements. 
Wing 
Tail 
Tarsus 
a. (Sarasin Coll.) cT ^4., Macassar, 3. VI. 95 . 
h. (Sarasin CoU.) (J* ad., Macassai', 15. VI. 95 
c. (Sarasin Coll.) $ ad.. Macassar, 12. VII. 95 
d. (Sarasin Coll.) Q ad.. Macassar, 15. VI. 95 
50 
53 
53 
53 
36 
35 
34 
35 
15 
15 
15 
J5 
Bill from 
nostril 
8 
8 
8.5 
8 
Effffs. 5; ovate; white; rather thick- shelled; circa 15.5 X 12 nun (Macassar, 12. VII. 95: 
P.&E. Sarasin). 
Nest. The nest, in wloich the above-mentioned eggs were found, was situated among shrubs. 
In shape a round oval, ca. 16 X 12 cm, the entrance at the side, rather large, diam 
5 cm. It is built of pieces of flag-leaf, roots, stalks, and grass, the last forming the 
bulk of the material, and of it the entrance and interior are made (P.&F. S.). 
Distribution. Lombok CVVallace 1, 5, Doherty and Everett 5); Flores (Wallace 3); Celebes 
— South (Platen 2, P.&F. Sarasin 4, Everett 5). 
For a long time it was uncertain whether this Munia was really a Celehe- 
sian species. It was first mentioned as an inhabitant of the island by Finsch 
(al) and then by Gray (hi), but upon what evidence we do not know. Then 
Kosenberg, whose remarks relate principally to the Gorontalo District, recorded 
it as abundant, but he seems to have only taken the name from Gray, and it 
is probable that he had the common Munia fomiosana in view, a species he does 
not mention. Dr. Platen bought some living specimens of M. pallida at Ma- 
cassar and believed from their cheapness that they were not imported. The 
first positive proof of its occurrence in a wild state in Celebes was provided 
by the Sarasins who found it near Macassar “everywhere in the rice-fields 
abundant with the Java Sparrow and other Munias”. This was in June and 
July, when they obtained the above- described nest and eggs and four adults. 
Later in September they wrote: “The birds seem to be gone away again, at 
least we have not remarked any for a long time. At the time of the rice 
harvest they were in large numbers in Macassar”. Mr. Everett, however, still 
got a female at Macassar and another at Bulekomba on the south coast after 
September 16***. 
T’his species is easily distinguishable from the common Brown Munia, 
M. fomiosana, by its white or whitish head. The Celebesian M. suhcastanea Hart, 
seems to be most nearly allied to it, but the chestnut under surface and rump 
of M. suhcastanea present a striking difference. 
69 * 
