256 STURNIXyE. 



base ; tail also black, white-tipped, most broadly on the outer 

 feathers ; beneath, the throat and breast dull cinereous-blackish ; 

 abdomen reddish-cinereous, paling in the centre, whitish on the 

 vent, and the under tail-coverts pure white ; the secondaries are 

 glossed with bronze towards their end. 



This Myna is a permanent resident in the more hilly districts 

 of the Deccan. The only difference between maJiraMensia and 

 fuscus is that the irides of the former are pale-blue, while those 

 of the latter are yellow. 



GENUS, Sturnia, Lesson. 



Bill short, compressed, less stout than in Acridotheres, bare, 

 deflected at the tip, often parti-colored ; wings moderate, first and 

 second primaries sub-equal ; tail nearly even ; tarsus short ; 

 lateral toes slightly unequal ; claws more curved ; head usually 

 ^crestecj, 



Sturnia pagodarum, Gm. 



687. Temenuchus pagodarum, Gm. Jerdon's Birds of India, 

 Vol. II, p. 329 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, 

 p. 494 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 414 ; Murray's 

 Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 179 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, 

 Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 128. 



THE BLACK-HEADED MYNA. 

 Brahmani Myna, Hin. ; Powi, Hin. 



Length, 7'5 to 8*5 ; expanse, 12'5 ; wing, 4 to 4'25 ; tail, 2'5 

 to 3 ; tarsus, 1 to 1'2 ; bill at front, 0'6 ; bill from gape, 0'9. 



Bill greenish -yellow at tip, blue at base ; irides greenish- 

 white ; legs bright-yellow. 



Head and long pendent crest black ; body above grey ; beneath 

 and ear-coverts bright fulvous-buff, with some mesial pale streaks ; 

 wings blackish, with a white edge near the shoulder ; tail dull 

 black. 



The Black-headed Myna occurs throughout the district, but is 

 somewhat locally distributed; it is somewhat rare in Sind. It is 

 a permanent resident, breeding from June to August, in holes in 

 trees. The eggs, four or five in number, are oval in shape, pale 

 bluish-white in color, and average 0*97 in length by about 075 

 in breadth. 



Sturnia malabarica, Gm. 



688. Temenuchus malabaricus, Gm. Jerdon's Birds of India, 

 Vol. II, p. 330 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, 

 p. 494 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 414. 



THE GKEY-HEADED MYNA. 



Powi, Hin. 



Length, 7'5 ; wing, 4 ; tail, 2'5 ; tarsus, 1 ; bill at front, 0'6. 

 Bill greenish-yellow ^i^^._bhiisJLa.tJbase ; irides greyish-white ; 

 legs dulTyellow. 



