380 STUENIDJE. 



" "With reference to your remarks in Nests and Eggs,' that you 

 have never met with more than five eggs in a nest, I would mention 

 that I took six eggs from a nest in the roof of a house I occupied 

 at Akola, on the 20th June, 1870. 



" At the same station in August 1869 a nest of young Mynas 

 was reared above the hinge of the semaphore signal at the railway- 

 station. One or other arm of the signal must have risen and 

 fallen every time a train passed, but the motion neither alarmed 

 the birds nor disarranged the nest." 



Messrs. Davidson and Wenden remark of this Myna in the 

 Deccan : " Common, and breeds in May and June." 



Mr. J. Inglis, writing from Cacbar, says : " The commonest of 

 all birds here. Breeds throughout the summer months. It makes 

 its nest generally in the roofs of houses or in holes in trees. It 

 lays about five eggs of a very pale blue colour." 



Finally, Mr. Gates writes from Pegu : " Commences making 

 nest about 15th March. I have taken eggs as late as 17th July, 

 but in this case the previous brood bad been destroyed. Normally 

 no eggs are to be found after June." 



The eggs, which are larger than those of either Stumopastor 

 contra or A. ginginianus, in other respects resemble these eggs 

 greatly, but when fresh are, I think, on the whole of a slightly 

 darker colour. They are rather long, oval, often pear-shaped, 

 eggs, spotless and brilliantly glossy, varying from very pale blue 

 to pure sky- or greenish blue. 



In length they vary from 1*05 to 1'28, and in breadth from 0*8 

 to 0'95 ; but the average of ninety-seven eggs is 1*19 by 0*86. 



550. Acridotheres melanosternus, Legge. The Common Ceylon 



Myna. 



Acridotheres melanosternus, Legge, Hume, Cat. no. 684 bis. 



Colonel Legge tells us, in bis ' Birds of Ceylon/ that " this 

 species breeds in Ceylon from February until May, nesting 

 perhaps more in the month of March than in any other. It builds 

 in holes of trees, often choosing a cocoanut-palm which has been 

 hollowed out by a Woodpecker, and in the cavity thus formed 

 makes a nest of grass, fibres, and roots. I once found a nest in 

 the end of a hollow areca-palm which was the cross beam of a 

 swing used by the children of the Orphan School, Bonavista, and 

 the noise of whose play and mirth seemed to be viewed by the birds 

 with the utmost unconcern. The eggs are from three to five in 

 number; they are broad ovals, somewhat pointed towards the 

 small end, and are uniform, unspotted, pale bluish or ethereal 

 green. They vary in length from 1-07 to 1-2 inch and in breadth 

 from 0-85 to 0-92' inch. 



" Layard styles the eggs ' light blue, much resembling those of 

 the European Starling in shape, but rather darker in colour.' " 



