378 



but in which fine twigs, bits of cotton, strips of rags, bits of old 

 rope, and all kinds of odds and ends may at times be found incor- 

 porated. 



The normal breeding-season lasts from June to August, during 

 which period they rear two broods ; but in Eoss Island (Andamans), 

 where they were introduced some years ago, they seem to breed all 

 through the year. Captain Wimberley, who sent me some of their 

 eggs thence, remarks : " The bird is now very common here. As 

 soon as it has cleared out one young brood, it commences building 

 and laying again. This continues all the year round." 



I think this great prolificness may be connected with the 

 uniformly warm temperature of these islands and the great heat 

 of the sun there all through the year rendering much incubation 

 unnecessary. Even in the plains of JXorthern India in the hot 

 weather when they breed these birds do not sit close, and since at 

 the Andamans the weather is such all the year round that the 

 eggs almost hatch themselves, this may be partly the reason why 

 these birds have so many more broods there than with us, where, 

 for at least half the year, constant incubation w 7 ould be necessary. 

 I particularly noticed when at Bareilly how very little trouble these 

 Mynas sometimes took in hatching their eggs, and I may quote 

 what I then recorded about the matter : 



" In a nest in the wall of our verandah we found four young 

 ones. This was particularly noteworthy, because from my study- 

 window the pair had been watched for the last month, first 

 courting, then flitting in and out of the hole with straws and feathers, 

 ever and anon clinging to the mouth of the aperture, and laboriously 

 dislodging some projecting point of mortar; then marching 

 up aad down on the ground, the male screeching out his harsh 

 love-song, bowing and swelling out his throat all the while, and then 

 rushing after and soundly thrashing any chance Crow (four times 

 his weight at least) that inadvertently passed too near him ; never 

 during the whole time had either bird been long absent, and both 

 had been seen together daily at all hours. I made certain that 

 they had not even begun to sit, and behold there were four fine 

 young ones a full week old chirping in the nest ! Clearly these 

 birds are not close sitters down here ; but I well remember a pair 

 at Mussoorie, some 6000 feet above the level of the sea, the most 

 exemplary parents, one or other being on the eggs at all hours of 

 the day and night. The morning's sun beats full upon the wall iu 

 the inner side of which the entrance to the nest is ; the nest itself 

 is within 4 inches of the exterior surface ; at 11 o'clock the 

 thermometer gave 98 as its temperature. I have often observed 

 in the river Terns (Seena aurantia, Rliynchops albicottis, Sterna 

 javanicd) and Pratincoles (Glareola lactea\ who lay their eggs in 

 the bare white glittering river-sands, that so long as the sun is high 

 and the sand hot they rarely sit upon their eggs, though one or 

 other of the parents constantly remains beside or hovering near and 

 over them, but in the early morning, in somewhat cold and cloudy 

 days, and as the night draws on, they are all close sitters. I 



