108 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, 1890, 



The nest is a shapeless mass of all sorts of material, grass, 

 roots, fine twigs, dead leaves, moss, and lichens, lined with fea- 

 thers, wool, &c. 



This omnium gatherum is stuffed into the hole without any 

 arrangement, about six times as much material being used as it is 

 necessary, a hollow being left in the centre for the eggs, which are four 

 or five (occasionally six) in number ; they are usually longish ovals in 

 shape, pointed at one end, and average 1/19 inches in length by 0"83 

 in breadth. 



They are glossless, pale, spotless blue or greenish-blue in colour. 

 Individual eggs cannot be distinguished with any certainty from 

 those of the Common Myna, but as a body they appear narrower and 

 lighter in colour. Mr. Vidal, C.S., in his Birds of Ratnagiri, states 

 that the Jungle or Dusky Myna (Acridotheres fuscus) is " abundant 

 throughout that district, and more especially in the well-wooded 

 tracts," but the species found there is generally accepted as mahrat- 

 tensis. The two birds are very much alike, the only difference is that 

 in fuscus the iris is yellow and in mahrattensis it is pale-blue, so that 

 skins are not distinguishable. 



687.— THE BLACK-HEADED MYNA. 

 Sturnia pagodarum, Gm. 



With the exception of Sind, where it is very rare, the Black- 

 headed or Pagoda Myna occurs more or less commonly throughout 

 "Western India. 



They are permanent residents, breeding from the commencement 

 of May to the end of July, or even later. They appear to breed 

 earlier in Kanara, as Mr. Davidson obtained nests with young on the 

 15th May. 



As a rule the nest is placed in a hole in a tree, but I have 

 occasionally found them in holes in stone walls and old buildings. 



The nest consists of a few scraps of dead leaves, grass roots, &c, 

 lined with feathers or other soft material. The eggs, four or five in 

 number, are oval in shape, measuring 0*97 inches in length, by about 

 - 75 in breadth. They vary in colour from bluish-white to greenish- 

 blue. They are spotless and fairly glossy. 



Deesa, July and August. H. E. Barnes. 



Neemuch, June to August. Do. 



