372 



bird. It is only found in our forests bordering the Wynaad, and 

 as it is far from common, I am not well acquainted with it. 



" I am also inclined to think that it is not a permanent resident 

 with us, but that a few couples come to these forests only to breed. 



" The only nest I have ever found was taken on the 24th April, 

 1880, and was in a hole of a dry standing tree in a clearing made 

 for a teak plantation and contained three fresh eggs. 



" A few days subsequently I saw a brood of young- ones flying 

 about a dry tree in the forest, so probably the breeding-season here 

 extends through April and May." 



The eggs are very similar to those of Sturnia malabarica and 

 S. nemoricola, but perhaps slightly larger. They are moderately 

 elongated ovals, generally decidedly pointed towards the small end. 

 The shell is very fine and smooth, and has a fair amount of gloss. 

 In colour they are a very delicate pale greenish blue. They 

 measure O99 and 1 in length by O71 in breadth. 



538. Sturnia malabarica (G-m.). The Grey-headed Myna. 



Temenuchus malabaricus (Crw.) ; Jerd. B. Ind. ii, p. 330; Hume, 

 Rough Draft N. 8f E. no. 688. 



I have never met with the nest of the Grey-headed Myna 

 myself, but am indebted to Mr. Grammie for its eggs and nest. 

 That gentleman says : " I obtained a nest of this species near 

 Mongphoo (14 miles from Darjeeliug), at an elevation of about 

 3400 feet. The nest was in the hollow of a tree, and was a 

 shallow pad of fine twigs, with long strips of bark intermingled in 

 the base of the structure, and thinly lined with very fine grass- 

 stems. The nest was about 4 inches in diameter and less than 1| 

 inch in height exteriorly, and interiorly the depression was perhaps 

 half an inch deep. It contained four hard-set eggs." 



This year he writes to me : " The Grey-headed Myna breeds 

 about Mongphoo, laying in May and June. I have taken several 

 nests now, and I found that they prefer cleared tracts where only 

 a ew trees have been left standing here and there, especially on 

 low but breezy ridges, at elevations of from 2500 to 4000 feet. 

 They always nest in natural holes of trees both dead and living, 

 and at any height from 20 to 50 feet from the ground. The nest 

 is shallow, principally composed of twigs put roughly together in 

 the bottom of the hole. They lay four or five eggs. 



" The Grey-headed Myna is not a winter resident in the hills. 

 It arrives in early spring and leaves in autumn. It is very abun- 

 dant on the outer ranges of the Teesta Valley, and is generally 

 found in those places frequented by Artamus fuscus. It feeds 

 about equally on trees and on the ground, and a flock of 40 or 50 

 feeding on the ground in the early morning is no unusual sight." 



Mr. J. E. Oripps, writing from Eureedpore, Eastern Bengal, 

 says: "Very common from the end of April to October, after 

 which a few birds may be seen at times. I cannot call to mind 

 ever having seen these birds descend to the ground. They must 



