XXXV 



THE BANK MYNA 



THE bank myna {Acridotheres ginginianus) , 

 like the Indian corby {Corvus macrorhynchus) , 

 is a bird that has suffered neglect at the hands 

 of those who write about the feathered folk. 

 The reason of this neglect is obvious. Even as 

 the house crow {Corvus splendens) overshadows the 

 corby, so does the common myna [Acridotheres tristis) 

 almost eclipse the bank myna. So famihar is the 

 myna that all books on Indian birds deal very fully 

 with him. They discourse at length upon his char- 

 acter and his habits, and then proceed to dismiss 

 the bank myna with the remark that his habits are 

 those of his cousin. 



The bank myna is a myna every inch of him. He 

 is a chip of the old block ; there is no mistaking him 

 for anything but what he is. So like to his cousin 

 is he that when I first set eyes upon him I took him 

 for a common myna freak. And I still believe I was 

 not greatly mistaken. I submit that the species arose 

 as a mutation from A. tristis. 



Once upon a time a pair of common mynas must 

 have had cause to shake their heads gravely over 

 Q 225 



