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700. :- Munia pectoralis, Jerd. :- Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 355 ; Butler, Deccan ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 415.

The Rufous-bellied Munia.
 

Length, 4.5 ; wing, 2.2 ; tail, 1.7 ; tarsus, 0.6.

Head, neck, and back, brown; the shafts of the feathers pale ; upper tail-coverts dark-brown, the feathers tipped with glistening yellow; wings and tail dark-brown ; face, forehead, throat, and breast, dark brown, strongly contrasting with the sides of the neck ; lower parts from the breast reddish-fawn color ; under tail-coverts dark-brown with pale shafts.

The Rufous-bellied Munia has been procured but very rarely in the jungles west of Belgaum.

B. Ind. ii. p. 355 ; Hume, Str. F. iii. p. 263 ; id., iv. p. 403. -

The Rufous-Bellied Munia.

Head, neck and back brown, the shafts of the feathers pale ; upper tail coverts dark brown, the feathers tipped with glistening yellow; wings and tail dark brown; face, forehead, throat and breast dark brown, strongly contrasting with the sides of the neck ; lower parts from the breast reddish fawn colour ; under tail coverts dark brown with pale shafts. Bill plumbeous ; legs plum­beous brown ; irides dark brown.

Length, - 4.5 inches ; wing 2.2;. tail 1.7 ; tarsus 0.56.

Hab. - The Wynaad and Coorg. Hume in his "Nests and Eggs" quotes Miss Cockburn to the effect that it is a summer visitant to the slopes of the Neilgherries about Kotagherry. The birds build in July, and like all the species construct a large nest, laying from 6 to 8 pure white eggs, o-61 to 0.63 inch in length and 0.42 to 0.46 in breadth.

The Ceylon Munia.

Munia kelaarti, Blyth, Jerd. B. I. ii, p. 356 (1863); Blyth, Ibis, 1867, p. 299; Hume, S. F. vii, p. 410; Legge, Birds Ceyl. p. 650, pl. xxvii, fig. 2. Amadina kelaarti (Blyth), Hume, Cat. no. 700 bis. Uroloncha kelaarti (Blyth), Sharpe, Cat. B. M. xiii, p. 366.

We-kurulla, Ceyl.; Tinna kuruvi, Tam.
 

Coloration. Upper plumage chocolate-brown with pale shafts, the head darker; rump black, with white cruciform marks; upper tail-coverts glistening fulvous ; tail black; wings dark brown or blackish ; cheeks, lores, chin, throat, and fore neck black; sides of the neck and of the breast pinkish brown with pale shafts ; breast and whole lower plumage pinkish white, irregularly but closely cross-barred with black.

The young are plain chocolate-brown above, without pale shafts or white marks on. the rump, and pale buff below with white shafts and irregular cross-bands of brown.

Iris sepia-brown; bill blackish leaden, bluish at the base of the lower mandible; legs and feet plumbeous, in some with a greenish tinge (Legge).

Length about 4.5 ; tail 1.8; wing 2.1; tarsus .5; bill from gape .45.

Distribution. Confined to the island of Ceylon.

The Rufous-bellied Munia.

Munia pectoralis, Jerd. B. I. ii, p. 355 (1803); Hume, N. & E. p. 448 ; id. S. F. iii, p. 263, iv, p. 403. Amadina pectoralis (Jerd.), Hume, Cat, no. 700. Uroloncha pectoralis (Jerd.), Sharpe, Cat. B. M. xiii, p. 365; Oates in Hume's N. & E. 2nd ed. ii, p. 136.

Coloration. Upper plumage chocolate-brown with pale shafts, the head a darker brown ; the rump blackish, with broad triangular streaks of pale buff; upper tail-coverts glistening fulvous; tail black; wings dull black; lores, cheeks, chin, throat, and fore neck black; ear-coverts buff with pale shafts; sides o£ the fore neck, sides of breast, breast, sides of the body, and the whole abdomen pinkish brown; vent and under tail-coverts blackish, with pinkish-brown streaks.

The young are plain chocolate-brown above with fulvous upper tail-coverts, and have the lower plumage buff with pale shaft-streaks.

Bill, legs, and feet slaty; iris brown (Miss Cockburn).

Length nearly 5; tail 1.8; wing 2.2; tarsus .5; bill from gape .45.

Distribution. The hills on the western coast of India from the Wynaad to Travancore.

Habits, &c. Appears to breed chiefly in June and July. The eggs measure about .62 by .44.

The Ceylon Munia.

Munia kelaarti Blyth, Jerdon B. of I., ii, p. 356 (1863) (Ceylon). Uroloncha kelaarti. Blanf. & Oates, ii, p. 187.

Vernacular names. We-kurulla (Ceylon); Tinnakuruvi(Tam.).

Description. Similar to the preceding bird bat having the rump a deeper black with diamond-shaped spots of white; the lower breast, abdomen, flanks and vent are pinkish white or pale fulvous, each feather boldly barred with blackish.

Colours of soft parts as in the preceding species.

Measurements. Total length about 115 mm.; wing 51 to 54 ram.; tail 38 to 40 mm.; tarsus about 14 mm.; culmen about 13 mm.

Young birds are practically indistinguishable from those of the preceding but show distinct signs of black and white barring on the chin and throat.

Distribution. Ceylon only.

This species is undoubtedly only the geographical representative in Ceylon of the Rufous-bellied Munia but environment or some other cause has evolved a form sufficiently well defined to deserve the rank of species. It should, however, be noted that birds of the preceding species from Travancore do show a slight extension of the mottling of the vent on to the abdomen.

Nidification. The Ceylon Munia breeds in February and March, again in June and July and perhaps later, making a typical Munia's nest but building sometimes well in the interior of dense forests, sometimes in Coffee Estates and even in creepers growing over houses. The eggs appear to number three to six, often three or four only. Thirty average 16.1 x 11.3 mm.: maxima 17.6 x 10.9 and 16.3 x l2.1 mm.; minima 14.2 x 11.0 and 17.0 x 10.1 mm.

Habits. The Ceylon Munia is essentially a Mountain form, being seldom found below 2,000 feet and haunting the highest elevations about the Peak and Newara Eliya. It is said to be swifter in flight than its near relations and to have a loud sibilant note, uttered both on the wing and when at rest. It is less gregarious than most Munias, keeping in small family parties only and soon driving away the young to fend for themselves. They feed almost entirely on seeds and grain and sometimes frequent roads etc. for the purpose of hunting for food among the droppings of cattle and ponies.

The Rufous- bellied Munia.

Uroloncha rufiventris Stuart Baker, Bull. B. 0. C, xlv, p. 84 (1925) (Wynaad). Uroloncha pectoralis. Blanf. & Oates, ii. p. 187.

Vernacular names. Tinna kuravi (Tel.).

Description. Upper plumage chocolate-brown with pale shafts, forehead and crown darker; rump dark brown with broader streaks of fulvous; upper tail-coverts glistening rufous; tail blackish brown ; wing-coverts dark brown ; quills blackish; lores, cheeks, chin, throat and upper breast black, the lores and cheeks flecked with tiny rufous striae : remainder of underparts dark fulvous or pinkish brown, the feathers of the vent and under tail-coverts with wide dark brown, or blackish, margins.

Colours of soft parts. Iris brown; bill dark slate to practically black ; legs and feet dark slaty.

Measurements. Total length about 120 mm.: wing 55 to 57 mm.; tail 36 to 39 mm.; culmen about 11 to 12 mm.; tarsus 13 to 14 mm.

Young birds are all brown above, the wings and tail blackish ; below they are fulvous, each feather with a pale shaft widening to a pale spot near the tip and with the faintest possible dark margin.

Nidification. The Rufous-bellied Munia breeds in the Nilgiris and other Hill districts of South India from July to September. In Travancore Stewart found eggs in March, April, June and July. The nest is similar to that of other Munias but more varied in material, whilst often there is a fair lining of the flowering ends of grasses. The eggs number four to seven, eight to ten according to Miss Cockburn. Thirty-six average 16.0 x 11.5 mm.: maxima 17.8 x 12.0 and 17.5 X 12.3 mm.; minima 15.0 x 10.9 and 15.5 x 10.5 mm.

Habits. This Munia is found in the Hills all the year round, in Summer up to some 7,000 feet, in Winter up to about 4,000 feet. In the lower levels it is resident throughout the year. It is found both in grass-lands, scrub jungle and in cultivation and villages, often breeding in and about the latter. They associate in small flocks and have the usual habits of the family.

Munia kelaarti Jerdon, Birds of India, vol. ii, p. 356, 1863, ex Blyth MS. Ceylon.

Amadina montatus Cray, Handl. Gen. Sp. Birds, p. ii, p. 56, 1870, ex Kelaart MS., as synonym.