STURNOPASTOE. 387 



of dry grass, but \Aitli a, few twigs, many feathers, and a strip or 

 two of rags intermingled in the mass. The materials were loosely 

 put together, and the iiest was placed high up in a fork near the 

 extremity of a branch. In the centre was a well-like canity some 

 9 inches deep by 3^ inches in diameter, at the bottom of which, 

 amongst many feathers, lay four fresh eggs." 



Five is the full complement of eggs, but they very often lay only 

 four, and once in a hundred times six are met with. 



From Hansie Mr. AV. Blewitt writes that he " found numerous 

 nests during May and June. They were all placed on keekur- 

 trees, at heights of from 10 to 15 feet from the ground, the trees 

 for the most part being situated on the banks of a canal or in the 

 Dhana Beerh, a sort of jungle preserve. 



"The nests were deusely built of keekur and zizyph us twigs, 

 and thicldy lined with rags, leaves, and straw. Pive was the 

 greatest number of eggs that I found in any one nest." 



Writing of his experience in the Delhi and Jhansi Divisions, Mr. F. 

 R. Blewitt remarks that " the Pied Pastor breeds from June to 

 August, making its nests between the outer branchlets of the 

 larger lateral branches of trees, without special choice for any one 

 kind. The nest is altogether roughly made, though some ingenuity 

 is evinced in putting all the material of which it is composed to- 

 gether. Twigs, grasses, I'ags, feathers, &c. are all brought into 

 requisition to form the large-made structure, which I have found, 

 though less commonly, at a higher altitude from the ground than 

 the 8 or 10 feet Jerdon speaks of." 



Major C. T. Bingham writes : — " Breeds in Allahabad in June, 

 July, and August ; and at Delhi in May, June, and July. The 

 nest is a large shapeless mass of straw, feathers, and rags, having 

 a deep cavity for the eggs, which are generally five in number. 

 The nest is almost always placed at the extreme tip of some slender 

 branch, and there is no attempt at concealment." 



Mr. J. E. Cripps tells us that at Furreedpore, in Bengal, this 

 Myna is " very common, and a permanent resident. They eat 

 fruit as well as insects. Lay in May and June, building their huge 

 nests at various heights from the ground, and in any tree that 

 comes in handy. I have generally found the nests lined with the 

 wdiite feathers of the paddy-birds ; some of the feathers being as 

 much as six and seven inches in length. The nests were composed 

 principally of doob-grass ; three to four eggs in each nest." 



From Cachar Mr. J. luglis writes : — '• The Pied Pastor is very 

 common all the year. It breeds during March, April, May, and 

 June, making its nest on any sort of tree about 15 feet or more 

 from the ground ; about 100 nests may often be seen together. 

 It prefers nesting on trees on the open fields. I do not know the 

 number of its eggs." 



The eggs are typically moderately broad ovals, a good deal 

 pointed towards one end, but pyriform and elongated examples 

 occur ; in fact, a great number of the eggs are more or less pear- 

 shaped. Like those of all the members of this subfamily, the eggs 



25* 



