ACRIDOTHEKES. ">.'* 7 



Genus ACRIDOTHERES, Yieillot, 1816. 



The genus Acridotheres contains the typical Mynas, one of the 

 species being universally distributed over the Empire, and a most 

 familiar bird. 



In 'Acridotheres the nasal and frontal plumes are lengthened and 

 erect, or slightly curled backwards. There is a large patch of 

 bare skin beneath and behind the eye. The feathers of the crown 

 are elongated and pointed. The bill is shorter than the head, 

 with the culmeu curved, the wing very blunt, and the tail con- 

 siderably rounded. The sexes are quite alike. 



The Mynas of this genus are mostly ground-birds ; they have a 

 variety of notes, some harsh and some very pleasing, and they 

 breed in holes of trees, houses, and earthen banks, one species 

 occasionally constructing a massive roundish nest in a tree. 



Key to the Species. 



a. Under wing-coverts and axillaries white. 



a'. Primary-coverts entirely white ........ A. tristis, p. 537. 



' 



b'. Primary- co verts half black and half 



white ............................ A. melanosternus 



b. Under wing-coverts and axillaries buff .... A. ginginianus, p 



549. Acridotheres tristis. The Common Mynci. 



Paradisea tristis, Linn. Syst. Nat. i, p. 167 (1766). 



Acridotheres tristis (Z.), Blyth, Cat. p. 108 ; Horsf. $ M. Cat. ii, 



p. 532 ; Jerd. B. 1. ii, p. 325 ; Hume, N. $ E. p. 428 ; Hume % 



Dav. S. F. vi, p. 388 ; Anders. Yunnan Exped., Aves, p. 593 ; 



Hume, Cat. no. 684 ; Oates, B. B. i, p. 379 ; Barnes, Birds Bom. 



p. 254 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. M. xiii, p. 80 ; Oates in Hume's N. % E. 



2nd ed. i, p. 377. 



Maina, Desi-maina, Hind. ; Salik, Bhat-salik, Beng. ; Bemni, Saloo, 

 Ohutia Nagpur ; Salonka, Mahr. ; Gonvantera, Can. ; Goranka, Gorinka, 

 Tel. ; Zayet, Burni. 



Coloration. Whole head, neck, and upper breast black ; lower 

 breast, flanks, sides of abdomen, and thighs rich vinous brown ; 

 upper plumage, with wing-coverts, secondaries, and tertiaries 

 brown, tinged with vinous ; primaries dark brown, with the bases 

 white ; primary-coverts white ; tail blackish, all but the median 

 pair of feathers broadly tipped with white. 



The young resemble the adult very closely. 



Eyelids, the bill, and skin about the eyes yellow ; edges of the 

 eyelids black ; mouth bluish black ; iris reddish brown, mottled 

 with white ; legs yellow ; claws horn-colour. 



Length 10 ; tail 3-3 ; wing 5'2 ; tarsus 1*55 ; bill from gape 1*3. 



Distribution. The whole of the Indian Empire except the northern 

 parts of Kashmir and Tenasserim south of Mergui. This species 

 ascends the Himalayas up to about 8000 feet. It has been intro- 

 duced into the Andamans, but does not extend to the Nicobars. 

 It is found in Afghanistan. 



