NESTING IN WESTERN INDIA. 107 



They are as a rule permanent residents wherever they occur, 

 breeding from about the end of May to the beginning of July, or 

 perhaps later." 



They bore holes in the sandy banks of rivers, sides of railway 

 cuttings, embankments, and such like places, showing a decided pre- 

 ference for places- close to water. These holes often communicate 

 with each other, so that a bird entering at one hole can easily 

 escape at another, but this is not always the case. I once found a 

 small colony breeding in the aides of a well in company with a few 

 pairs of the Common Myna. 



The end of the hole, which is slightly enlarged, is lined with fine 

 grass, roots, feathers, &c. 



The eggs, four (occasionally five) in number, are pale spotless 

 greenish-blue in colour, and average 1*05 inches in length by about 

 0*82 in breadth ; they are, therefore, somewhat smaller than those of 

 the Common Myna . 



Deesa, May to July. H. E, Barnes. 



Hyderabad, Sind, „ ,, 



Neemuch, ,, „ 



Baroda> May, H. Littledale, B.A. 



Nowapur, Khandeish, March. J. Davidson, C.S. 



686 bis.— THE SOUTHERN DUSKY MYNA. 



Acridotheres mahrattensis, Sykes. 



The Southern Dusky Myna is common along the Sahyadri range 

 and in the adjacent forests. Mr. Davidson says: — '" It is common 

 in Kanara and in the southern part of the Nassick district along the 

 ghats. It becomes rare in the north of the Baglam talooka of that 

 district, and I have never seen even an odd specimen which had 

 crossed the small range dividing Nassic from Khandeish. I do not 

 think it replaces the Common Myna. In Kanara the other is quite 

 as common everywhere, and even on the line of ghats in Nassic, both 

 species occur, as in Tanna and Bombay." 



It occurs also in the vicinity of Belgaum. They are permanent 

 residents where found, breeding during the hot weather from April 

 to the middle of June. They nest in holes, in trees, stone walls, old 

 buildings, chimneys, &c. 



