Munia (Dermophrys) jagori "Cabanis," Martens, Jour. für
Orn. (1866), 14.
Munia jagori Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1890), 13, 337; Grant
and Whitehead, Ibis (1898), 245 (eggs); Whitehead, Ibis (1899),
241 (habits); McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 105.
Munia brunneiceps Grant, Ibis (1895), 261; (1896), 554 (=jagori
in worn plumage).
? Fringilla minuta Meyen,
Nov. Act. Acad. C. L. C. Nat. Cur. (1834), 16, suppl. prin. 86,
pl. 12.
Bi-ching, Benguet; maí-ya, Ticao; má-ja, Bohol.
Balabac (Everett); Bantayan (McGregor); Banton (Celestino);
Batan (McGregor); Basilan (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Bohol
(Everett, Steere Exp., McGregor); Bongao (Everett); Cagayan Sulu
(Mearns); Calamianes (Bourns & Worcester); Calayan (McGregor);
Cantanduanes (Whitehead); Cebu (Meyer, Steere Exp., Bourns &
Worcester, McGregor); Fuga (McGregor); Guimaras (Steere Exp.);
Leyte (Everett, Steere Exp., Bartsch); Lubang (McGregor); Luzon
(Everett, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Masbate
(Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Mindanao (Steere, Murray,
Everett, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Celestino); Mindoro
(Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Negros (Everett,
Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Keay, Whitehead, Celestino);
Palawan (Whitehead, Bourns & Worcester, White); Panay (Steere
Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Polillo (McGregor); Romblon (Bourns &
Worcester, McGregor); Samar (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester);
Semirara (Worcester); Sibay (McGregor & Worcester); Sibuyan
(Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Siquijor (Bourns & Worcester);
Sulu (Guillemard, Bourns & Worcester, Bartsch); Tablas (Bourns &
Worcester); Tawi Tawi (Bourns & Worcester); Ticao (McGregor).
Adult.--Entire head, chin, throat, and chest blackish brown; hind
neck and sides of neck usually lighter or chocolate-brown, sharply
defined against the chestnut of back, scapulars, wing-coverts, and
edges of quills; sides of breast, flanks, and a narrow band across
breast chestnut, brighter than the back; middle of lower breast,
abdomen, thighs, and crissum, black or blackish brown; rump and
tail-coverts deep maroon; tips of longest coverts and edges of two
central rectrices golden brown or orange-rufous. Iris dark brown;
bill, legs, and nails light horn-blue. A pair from Luzon measure:
Male, length, 120; wing, 54; tail, 39; culmen from base, 11; tarsus,
16; female, wing, 54; tail, 38; culmen from base, 10; tarsus, 13.
Young.--Head and neck hair-brown; back and wing-coverts wood-brown,
tail-coverts lighter; throat creamy buff; breast, abdomen, and crissum
yellowish buff; rectrices and wing-feathers dark brown edged with buff.
The Philippine chestnut weaver, or rice bird, is abundant throughout
the Islands. It is extremely social in its habits and in many cases
a dozen of its globular nests may be found within a radius of a
few meters.
The nests are frequently built among the branches of a common species
of pandanus which grows on sandy beaches. Chestnut weavers in great
numbers, and Munia cabanisi, Padda oryzivora, and Uroloncha everetti
in lesser numbers, are captured in nets and sold, either in the Manila
markets for food or on the streets as cage-birds.
"This chestnut weaver finch feeds in large flocks and is much prized
by some of the inhabitants as an article of food, its small size
being compensated for by the fact that a score can be killed at one
discharge of a gun. It seems to breed throughout the year; its bulky
nest is placed in the grass, and is composed entirely of grass stems
and leaves; the entrance is a round opening at the side. The eggs
are pure white and more or less globular; from six to ten eggs are
deposited in a set." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)