MUNIA KELAAETI. 
651 
Wynaad, Coorg, Travancore, and other hills, has the throat and chest deep brownish black, and the undernarts 
from the breast downwards, a salmon or reddish-fawn colour, without any dark markings ; the unner narts are 
dark brown, the feathers with pale yellowish shafts. ^ 
Distribution.~Th.{% handsome little Finch, the only species of the family peculiar to the island, was 
is^vere y ^ r. Kelaart at Nuwara Elliya, where it is very common, and by him specimens were forwarded 
to Ulyth. It IS essentially an alpine bird, not being found below an altitude of about 2000 feet, and is not 
very numerous at that height. Its principal habitat is the Nuwara-Elliya plateau and the western coffee-districts 
extending from the Peak forest (in clearings in which it is common), through Maskeliya, Dickoya, Dimhnlla, 
and Pusselawa, to parts of the Kandy district, and thence to the Knuckles, in the upper parts of which it is 
found, hut not according to my observation, as commonly as on the south side of the Dumbara valley. In 
m Madulsima I found it less numerous than M. malacca, which is the common patna 
In tfc n fb Matiirata and Hewahette it is tolerably frequent, but not more so than M. striata. 
In the southern ranges ( he Rakwana, Morowak, and Kukkiil-Korale district) it is found above the altitude 
rfd"™ of thfS “ •'"= “ •'■e 
The Hill-Munia, in its habits, differs considerably from all the sncceedinj species. It is 
Ireqnently found m the .utenor of the gloomiest forests; it is unsociable, living for the mL part in pairs 
likewise a bud of more rapid flight than other Munias, Nature having afforded it the power of spanning the 
deeprav nes and gorges, among which it p.ssri its life, with ease and rapidity. I, d.«. swiftly Lross open 
coffee-estates and patnas ftom one piece of jungle to another with an undulating flight, uttering a long-drawn 
sibilant note, which is andible at some distance, and is often heard without the swiftly flying little -.Fincli ” 
being Itself perceived. It feeds on small seeds, frequenting the tall patna-grass when it is in flower and 
rMorting to the Itnrriito clearings in the Peak forest and Knkliul Korale, where it gorges itself with the 
grain of that plant. I have noticed it in the early morning about the outhouses at Nuwara Elliya picking 
Ike Sparrow, on dunghills and rnbbish-h.aps ; and Mr. Holdsworth likewise observed it feeding on the roiuS 
there like Sparrows on whatever ;« could find. When not feeding it is both shy and restli. Durin”. 
sojourn in the Peak forest I observed that its appetite was satisfied at an early ho Jin the evening, and fct 
It then commenced to roam about and settle on dead trees, coming home from its feeding-gronnd, L by one 
and appearing to take some pains to find a good roosting-place. ^ ' 
AMif.V«lio»._The ''Nuwara-Elliya Pinch” breeds from May until September, nesting often in the 
upper branches of lofty, umbrageous trees, and at other times in coffee- and other low bushes as well as in 
the creepers trained up the veraiidal., of bungalows on the estates. Mr. Bligit informs me that he has know 
a pair take possession of a Bu bul's nest, from which the rightful owners had been driven, and constrTc 
therein a nest of their own. I noticed, with regaril to a pair breeding in that gentleman's verandah m 
Catton, that the female was a very close sitter, and returned to her nest shortly after being disturbed. 
Ibis was in May; and in July following Mr. Rligh writes me : — “On the 16th I snw ATrin' n 
out of the old nest in the verandah, and when I put my finger in the nest I fouml tlVe^ n it 
bird was then sitting on them. I think it worth recording that they lay so soon after Imving rea'red their 
fiist brood. I noticed that occasionally the young and old returned to the nest to sleep; they did not 
make a practice of 5 it seems to be only when they take it into their heads to do so; or it may be that 
the ol birds are tbmking of another brood and begin to visit the nest for that purpose, and tolerate the 
presence ot the first brood while they are still young.^’ 
The nest is made of grass, and usually globular in shape; it is compact, and has a rather neatly rounded 
entrance. The egg-cavity is deep and round, and lined with fine grass. The eggs are pointed ovals, pure white 
and glossy in texture. They measure from 0-65 to 0'68 inch in length, and O'dl to 0'46 ineh in breadth ^ 
The figure in the Plate is that of a specimen shot in the Peak forest. 
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