158 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



finch. Nest-building and laying of eggs are effected in October- 

 November, and the clutch of five eggs is placed in a cup-chaped, 

 open, compact nest, some lo feet from the ground, though some- 

 times lower. This and the foregoing finch build open nests, 

 while Australian Ploceidse construct side-entranced ones. 



The Starling, Stumus vulgaris, Linn., in 1882 was called a 

 citizen of the world, because it had got as far south as Cape 

 Colony. It is now in Australia, and on that account has a 

 better claim to the title, and must henceforth be considered 

 cosmopolitan. Nature had provided a starling, Calornis 

 metallica, for north-east Australia only, but as it has refused to 

 come south the vacancy has been filled by the European species. 



The Indian Myna and the Sparrow are good colonizers. 

 They resemble the Netherlanders in persistency, and they have 

 minds among birds like Britishers among races, always ready 

 and willing to go ahead, with vitality to stay when they come. 

 These daring birds with much presence of mind are in full 

 swing here. One rainy morning before going to business I 

 looked out of an upstairs window upon a pear-tree populated 

 with Mynas. In a gregarious way they were seeking shelter 

 from the storm behind large limbs of the tree. Occasionally a 

 vehicle would pass and disturb them, but it was only to give 

 them an opportunity to peck at the fallen fruit and whet their 

 appetites, after which they rose again, and while sheltered cleaned 

 their yellow bills against the bark. Later on they gambolled 

 round, but another shower soon drove them into crevices of the 

 fence, and one with a broken leg secured a good and sheltered 

 spot. As the restless animals do not remain long anywhere, 

 unless against a warm chimney or asleep, they soon went off on a 

 voyage of discovery. One day in November of last year three 

 fell down a chimney into the room. They were imprisoned until 

 the morning, and then released, when each flew rapidly away on 

 opening the door. All were met by two others, and a corroboree 

 was duly celebrated, as if it was not unusual to tumble down a 

 chimney. Two minutes after release three of them fought a 

 battle on our neighbour's verandah. The talk of the vivacious 

 Myna seems to be represented in six notes, varied in arrangement 

 and in degree of utterance. It is pleasant to listen to for five 

 minutes, after which it becomes monotonous. The bird will 

 talk for ten minutes over the nest, and expect attention. 

 In one nest a boy's excuse for not doing his home lessons 

 was found embedded between the material. Accidents, I 

 believe, do happen, for on the upper tail coverts of one 

 Myna I saw many prominent white-mottled spots. This 

 was in August, after which nesting commences. I do not know 

 whether the Myna eats ticks, but it constantly accompanies cows 



