clothing feathers long and lanceolate, becoming longer and more 

 pointed at each moult. In very old birds the specks are said to 

 disappear altogether, or nearly so* 



The young bird is dull brown. 



The Common Starling of Europe is a not uncommon winter 

 visitant to Sind, Gu&erat, and parts of Raj pu tana. It associates 

 with the Common and Bank Mynas. It does not occur in the 

 Deccan, 



Sturnus minor, Hume. 



6816/s. Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 178. 



THE LESSER STARLING. 



Wing, 4^3 ; tarsus, 1 ; bill at front, 1, 



Bill yellow ; irides brown ; legs yellow. 



General character of plumage like that of the Common Starling ; 

 but in the first place, the Common Starling has the reflections 

 of the head purple, and of the back green, but in the present 

 species the reflections of the head are green and the back 

 purple. 



Secondly the wing is decidedly shorter. 



The bills of both are about equal in length, but those of minor 

 are more pointed, have a more decided culmen ridge, and are 

 less broad at the base. 



The Lesser Starling is a permanent resident in parts of Sind, 

 breeding from March to June. The eggs are similar to those 

 of the Common Starling, but are smaller. 



GENUS, Acridotheres, Vieill. 



Bill rather short, stout, compressed ; culmen gently curving 

 and deflected ; gonys slightly sloping upwards ; nostrils almost 

 concealed by the frontal plumes which extend above them their 

 whole length ; tail rounded ; tarsus stout ; feet strong ; toes 

 lengthened ; the laterals nearly equal ; claws moderately curved. 



The head is more or less crested, and some of them have a 

 naked space behind and under the eye. 



Acridotheres tristis, Lin. 



684. Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 325 ; Butler, Guzerat ; 

 Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 494 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. 

 IX, p. 413 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 178 ; 

 Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 128. 



THE COMMON MYNA. 



Length, 10 ; wing, 5'25 ; tail, 3'5 ; tarsus, 1*4 ; bill at front, 

 0-85. 



Bill yellow ; irides red-brown with white specks ; legs dull- 

 yellow ; orbits deep-yellow. 



The whole head, with moderate occipital crest, neck and breast, 

 glossy black ; the rest of the plumage quaker or snuff-brown, 



