34 COMMON BIRDS OF AN INDIAN GARDEN 



but where large and conspicuous heaps of rubbish 

 are to be attached to trees there is an obvious reason 

 why the process should be deferred until the crop 

 of leaves that falls in spring has been replaced by 

 a fresh supply of protective foliage. Like mynas, 

 the pied starlings manifest entire satisfaction with 

 their nests, and when busily engaged in feeding 

 their young can never enter their houses, even when 

 their mouths seem to be inconveniently full, with- 

 out pausing to utter one or two cheerful notes of 

 self-congratulation . 



Pied starlings overflow with energy and always 

 seem to be in a hurry. When questing over a 

 plot of grass they never pace daintily about as the 

 mynas do, but race along in a frenzied way that 

 almost recalls the air of possession with which 

 mason-wasps go about their business. They are 

 almost as jealous of any intrusion on their favourite 

 hunting-grounds as mynas are, but by no means so 

 plucky in resenting it by active assault. 



Several other kinds of mynas and starlings appear 

 in Calcutta as visitors, usually during the winter 

 months. At the time that the silk-cotton-trees are 

 in bloom they are regularly visited by large flocks 

 of Acridotheres fuscus l and Temenuchus malabaricus? 

 the latter species perhaps furnishing the very noisiest 



1 Owing to the kaleidoscopic revolutions in zoological nomenclature, 

 these birds will be found in the " Fauna of British India " as j&thiopsar 

 fuscus and Sfocpwa malabarica. 



