MUNIA MALACCA. 
653 
Female. Somewhat less than male ; wing 2-1. , , , ^ v. 
Iris brown, in some slightly reddish; bill light leaden or milky blue ; legs and feet sombre blue, or dark slate-blue, or 
Entire head and neck, chest, lower breast, abdomen, thighs, and under tail-coverts glossy black ; chest, upper part of 
breast, and flanks white, its junction with the black of the throat and of the belly being convex in shape; back, 
scapulars, and wing-coverts chestnut-brown; quills brown, edged with chestnut; upper tail-coverts glistening 
deep maroon, central rectiices rich glistening chestnut ; the remaining feathers, which are darker brown than the 
wings, edged with the same. In abraded plumage the colours of the upper surface fade much. 
Ymng, Iris deep brown ; bill brownish horn or dusky iilumbeous ; legs bluish brown, in nestlings lilac-grey. 
Uniform pale rufescent brown above, darker somewhat on the head, some specimens having the forehead and lores 
darker still ; quills dark browm, edged with the hue of the back ; under surface pale fulvous-white, lightest on 
the breast. During the change to the adult dress, which takes place by a moult in the first year, individuals in 
every variety of plumage may be seen. The nape and hind neck change first to black, and then the lower parts ; 
the maroon rump is last acquired, as I have obtained specimens in almost complete black and chestnut plumage 
with the grey rump still unchanged. 
Ohs. Indian specimens correspond very well w’ith ours ; two examples in the national collection are somewhat pale on 
the back, in spite of being in good plumage. They measure 2-18 inches in the wing; another is larger wing 
2-2 inches, tail 1-7, height of bill at nostril 0-34, these measurements being precisely those of Ceylonese birds. 
It is considered by some that Linnams’s name does not safely apply to the present species, owing partly to his some- 
what meagre description, and also to the distribution assigned by him to the species. As regards his descrption, 
he leaves out all mention of the wdiite underparts : “ ferruginea, capite abdomineque nigris, rostro cmruleo ” is all 
that we have. He refers to Edwards’s plate, ‘ Gleanings,’ 355, which gives -a representation of a bird which 
cannot be any other species, and which is called by Edwards “ the White-breasted Indian Sparrow. It was figured 
from a specimen kept in confinement in St. Clement’s. Eeference is likewise made to Brisson’s description of the 
“ Chinese Sparrow^” in which mention is made of the white underparts and black belly ; but the distribution 
been owing to a flock having been let loose from a ship calUng at the port. By such means, or by pairs escaping from 
conflnement, the little Amaduvad became not uncommon during several years of my residence at Colombo : I am not 
sure that it bred there ; but it would appear that the present species, if rightly identified, did not propagate itself m the 
south of Ceylon, or else it would have been met with subsequently. 
It replaces the White-bellied Munia in the north of India, being, according to Jerdon, “found throughout Low^er 
Bengal, and all along the foot of the Himalayas, as far as the Dehra Doon, and also in some of the wooded adjacent 
districts ; but it would appear to be rare in the open country of the N.W. Prowces. I have,” he remarks, “ seen speci- 
mens from the eastern coast north of Madras but it is certainly rare in Southern India. It is much more common 
in the countries to the eastward, Assam and Burmali, as far as the Tenasserim provinces. I do not find any other record 
of its occurrence in the south, or, in fact, anv lower down the peninsula than Sambalpiir. Mr. Cripps says it is nowhere 
common in Eui-reedpore; in North-eastern India it is, according to Mr. Inglis, common during the rains, breeding there 
in June, July, and August; in Upper Pegu Mr. Oates records it as likewise common; but to Tenasserim it is only a 
summer visitant, Mr. Davison having observed it there from March until August. If identical with TieiUot’s bird, it is 
found at Singapore and at Saraw-ak and Labuan (Salvadori). „ ^ i 
In its habits and voice, Mr. Davison remarks, “they resemble other Muuias, going about in larger or smaller flocks, 
and feedmg on the gi-ound, chiefly on grass-seeds.” Mr. Oates says it affects elephant-grass and swampy places m pre- 
ference to others. 
Nidijimtion . — The breeding-season of this handsome Munia in Bengal, Burmah, and Cachar is from 
September ; but in Tenasserim, further south, Mr. Davison speaks of their laying in April and May. n ^ ®® 
says it breeds in elephant-grass, attaching its nest to two or three stems at a height of four or five eet rom e groun . 
It is “ a loose mass of grass, spherical, cylindrical, or heart-shaped ; the inside is lined with finer grass, t ® ® owing ends 
being brought forw'ard to the entrance, w'hich is small and dilflcult to find.’’ In 1874 Mr. C. Parker found it nesting 
in long o'rass near the top, the nest being a very conspicuous object ; but in the follow'iug year, owmg to the grass 
having been cut down, they selected prickly date-palms and small pines to build in. The eggs vary from two to five in 
number, and are elongated glossless ovals, from 0-58 to 0-68 inch in length, by 0'4 to 0-47 inch in breadth. 
