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COMMON AMA D U V A D E . 6.$.
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A P R I C A N FIRE F INCH . S.
(La-g-orMisUciu, miritm.co.J
THE AMADUVADE WAXBILL.
Spora^mlhiis amatidava, LINX.
r p H E common Amaduvade, or " Avadavat" as it is frequeiitlycalled, is a' native
of India, Cochin China, Siam, Java and other Malayan Islands. It is imported
ill such quantities that occasionally some of the small dealers find it necessary to
part with their stock at a fe^^• shillings per dozen, in order to save the expense
of their keep: this is however an extreme case.
Col. Swiuhoe iuform.s me that in Bombay, the native Bird-catchers will sell
them at the rate of about one lialfpenuy apiece, when freshly taken; they are
however, usually put up with Spice-Fiuclies in . native wicker cages ' containing
pediaps three dozen birds and are then sold in the bazaars at fully double the
price. I received one of these cages in 1892 from Bombay, but when it reached
me only half the birds (/..•. ten Spice-Finches and eight Amaduvades) were living
and two of the Waxbills died subsequent^', but the remainder which I turned
loose in an unheated aviar}- are still in perfect health.
The cock Amaduvade in breeding plumage is an extremely beautiful little bird
with a charming, though some^N'hat brief song, reminding one of a bugle-call
Above, the general tone is copper brown ; the feathers of the lower back and tailcoverts
copper red; marked near the tip \^•ith a round white spot; tail feathers
primary coverts, and flights, bro^^•uisll black; the outer tail-feathers and inner
secondaries .vith white terminal spots; the sides of the face and throat shining
copper-red, the breast somewhat darker and spotted with white; abdomen and under
tail-coverts white; wing-coverts below hite, flights smoky, with greyish inner web
Length 4.-; inches. Beak crimson; legs flesh-coloured; iris orange-red.
The female above is brown, witli darker wings ; small white spots on the wingco^'
erts aud inner secondaries ;. the lower back and upper tail-coverts darker copper
red than in the male; edged and spotted with white; the lores, eyelid and feathers
behind the eye black ; a whitish streak below the eye; sides of face greyish • throat
pale buff, beconnng browner on the breast; lower breast and abdomen orange
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